Patient activated rapid response – the ‘999’ for patients admitted to hospital

Background Patient activated rapid response (PARR) services allow patients and family members to escalate care in hospital without agreement by their primary care team. Methods This paper explores the evidence base for PARR and examines the experience of a sample of patients to identify barriers and opportunities for PARR. These are then used to develop a framework for the measurement of PARR that can be applied to quantify clinical impact and develop new research. Results The observed number of escalation events by patients and family members is small. Interviews with patients suggested concerns of patients in undermining staff and difficulties to recall the mechanics of escalation during periods of acute illness. The Quadruple aim could be used as a framework to quantify impact: In a functioning PARR system earlier recognition of illness can be facilitated by patients and this should lead to 1. a reduction in cardiac arrests and preventable deaths, 2. timely admission to critical care with shorter (cheaper) length of stay, 3. better patient engagement and Patient Reported Experience measures and 4. flatter hierarchies with higher staff satisfaction. Conclusion PARR services are in the early stages of implementation. We present a framework to measure improvement of services and research.