title: Point prevalence of patients fulfilling MET criteria in ten MET equipped hospitals. The methodology of the RESCUE study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The RESCUE study examined the prevalence of patients at risk of a medical emergency in acute care settings by assessing the prevalence of cases where patients fulfil the hospital-specific criteria for MET activation. This article will detail the study methodology including the ethics applications and approvals process, organisational preparation, research staff training, tools for data collection, as well as barriers encountered during the conduct of the study.
  
  
  METHODS
  A point prevalence design conducted at 10 hospitals, comprising of private and public, secondary and tertiary referral, ICU equipped, metropolitan and regional settings.
  
  
  METHODS
  All inpatients were eligible except intensive care and psychiatric patients.
  
  
  RESULTS
  On a single day consenting inpatients in each hospital had a single set of vital signs obtained, their observation chart reviewed and followed up for MET activations, unplanned ICU admissions, cardiac arrests and 30 and 60 day mortality. Of 2199 eligible patients, 1688 (76.76%) were assessed, 175 (7.95%) refused consent and 336 (15.28%) were unavailable. Access to patients was refused in some wards despite ethics approval. Data collection required 2 student nurses approximately 14 min per patient assessment.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In conducting a large multi-site point prevalence study, critical organisational processes were shown to influence the access to patients. This study demonstrated the impact of variation in Human Research Ethics Committee interpretations of protocols on consenting processes and the importance of communication and leadership at ward level to promote access to patients.
authors.affiliation: Cabrini Health, Australia. tracey.bucknall@deakin.edu.au
authors.forename: Tracey K
authors.initials: TK
authors.lastname: Bucknall
authors.forename: Daryl
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Jones
authors.forename: Jonathon
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Barrett
authors.forename: Rinaldo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Bellomo
authors.forename: Mari
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Botti
authors.forename: Julie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Considine
authors.forename: Judy
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Currey
authors.forename: Trisha L
authors.initials: TL
authors.lastname: Dunning
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Green
authors.forename: Michele
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Levinson
authors.forename: Patricia M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Livingston
authors.forename: Bev
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: O'Connell
authors.forename: Rasa
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ruseckaite
authors.forename: Margaret
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Staples
mesh_terms: D003422:Critical Care / Q000458:organization & administration*; D016638:Critical Illness / Q000401:mortality*; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital / Q000458:organization & administration*; D017052:Hospital Mortality / Q000639:trends; D006785:Hospitals, University; D006801:Humans; D007362:Intensive Care Units / Q000458:organization & administration; D010348:Patient Care Team / Q000458:organization & administration*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D014739:Victoria; D016526:Workload / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*