Improvement of the rapid response system at an acute rehabilitation hospital in New Mexico

<b>Aim:</b> Enhance the Rapid Response System (RRS) in a free-standing acute rehabilitation hospital (ARH) by improving announcements, crash cart standardization and role assignments. <b>Materials &amp; methods:</b> Pre-intervention (PreIQ) and post-intervention questionnaires (PostIQ), conducted in English and utilizing a Likert scale, were distributed in-person to clinical staff, yielding a 100% response rate. The questionnaire underwent no prior testing. The PreIQ were disseminated in February 2021, and PostIQ in December 2022. <b>Results:</b> PostIQ illustrated the improvement of audibility and improved the clarity of roles. The training positively impacted the RRS in the ARH. <b>Conclusion:</b> This study highlights the value of continuous RRS improvement in ARHs. Interventions led to notable enhancements, emphasizing the need for sustained efforts and future research on broader implementation. Thousands of in-hospital and out-of-hospital cardiac arrests occur annually. The Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) launched the 100,000 Lives Campaign in 2004 which brought rise to the creation of rapid response teams (RRTs) within rapid response systems (RRS) to address rapid response cardiac arrest management. Studies have determined that a successful RRS consists of an afferent limb with a proper triggering system, an efferent limb with an experienced multidisciplinary team, and a hospital culture that embraces the RRS. In this study, the aim was to improve the RRS to rapid response events at a rehabilitation hospital in Albuquerque, New Mexico through quality improvement interventions in the following topics: rapid response announcements, crash cart stocks, and code response role assignments. Questionnaires were given to hospital clinical staff before implementation of the study to assess their opinion of the RRS as well as after to assess the impact of the interventions. Post-intervention questionnaire results illustrated improvements with rapid response announcements, code role assignments and hospital clinical staff training participation. The limitations of the study included the small sample size and limited duration of follow-up after the intervention. Continuous quality improvement can be an effective means of improving the RRS in hospitals, including rehabilitation hospitals.