TY - JOUR
T1 - The medical emergency team in Italy
T2 - An overview of in-hospital emergencies response
AU - Galazzi, Alessandro
AU - Vincenti, Nicola Maria Bonasera
AU - Giusti, Gian Domenico
AU - Brioni, Matteo
AU - Adamini, Ileana
AU - Laquintana, Dario
AU - Ristagno, Giuseppe
AU - Grasselli, Giacomo
PY - 2020/1/1
Y1 - 2020/1/1
N2 - Background and aim: Medical Emergency Team (MET), implemented in many hospitals world-wide, aims to improve the safety of in-hospital patients whose condition is deteriorating. This study describes MET presence and organization in the Italian National Healthcare System Hospitals. Methods: A national survey with an online questionnaire was performed. The questionnaire, created ad hoc, was sent by e-mail to the nursing coordinators and MET referents of the Hospitals affiliated to the Italian National Healthcare System with an Anesthesia and Intensive Care service. Results: One hundred-ninety-seven hospitals were in-terviewed (36.2% of the whole national network). A dedicated MET, composed at least by an intensivist and a nurse, was present only in 118 cases (59.9%). The team was composed by a non-dedicated staff (67.8% of doctors, 69.5% of nurses) and a minimum shared standard of education for the nurse component was absent. One third of the estimated hospitals did not use a warning score for emergency call activation. Discussion and conclusion: This survey showed a heterogenous and often lacking organization of in-hospital emergency management in Italy. MET system needs to be implemented in terms of presence in the Italian hospitals, and standardized for personnel structure and training, and equipment availability. A broader study is necessary to compare our data with those of other European Countries to better identify the specific areas which need to be improved more promptly. (www.actabiomedica.it).
AB - Background and aim: Medical Emergency Team (MET), implemented in many hospitals world-wide, aims to improve the safety of in-hospital patients whose condition is deteriorating. This study describes MET presence and organization in the Italian National Healthcare System Hospitals. Methods: A national survey with an online questionnaire was performed. The questionnaire, created ad hoc, was sent by e-mail to the nursing coordinators and MET referents of the Hospitals affiliated to the Italian National Healthcare System with an Anesthesia and Intensive Care service. Results: One hundred-ninety-seven hospitals were in-terviewed (36.2% of the whole national network). A dedicated MET, composed at least by an intensivist and a nurse, was present only in 118 cases (59.9%). The team was composed by a non-dedicated staff (67.8% of doctors, 69.5% of nurses) and a minimum shared standard of education for the nurse component was absent. One third of the estimated hospitals did not use a warning score for emergency call activation. Discussion and conclusion: This survey showed a heterogenous and often lacking organization of in-hospital emergency management in Italy. MET system needs to be implemented in terms of presence in the Italian hospitals, and standardized for personnel structure and training, and equipment availability. A broader study is necessary to compare our data with those of other European Countries to better identify the specific areas which need to be improved more promptly. (www.actabiomedica.it).
KW - In-hospital emergency
KW - Medical emergency team
KW - Nurse
KW - Rapid response system
KW - Survey
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U2 - 10.23750/abm.v91i6-S.9878
DO - 10.23750/abm.v91i6-S.9878
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85086645594
VL - 91
SP - 9
EP - 18
JO - Acta Biomedica de l'Ateneo Parmense
JF - Acta Biomedica de l'Ateneo Parmense
SN - 0392-4203
ER -