University Times

A new system that empowers patients and their families at UPMC Shadyside to call for help from rapid response teams is reducing the likelihood of medical errors and maximizing patient safety, according to an article in the November issue of the American Journal of Nursing.

Many hospitals, including UPMC Shadyside, have been responding to in-hospital emergencies with designated teams of doctors, nurses and other staff who only can be summoned by health care providers. UPMC’s new system, Condition H (for “help”), acknowledges that patients and families may recognize signs that a patient is deteriorating before physicians and nurses do.

Condition H was started at UPMC Shadyside last year, the first program of its kind in the country. Patients receive guidelines for calling a Condition H and a phone number for activating the team, which includes an internal medicine physician, a patient relations coordinator and unit nursing staff. Additional clinical support is called in as needed. Patients and families are instructed to call a condition H if a noticeable change occurs in the patient but the health care team doesn’t appear to be responding to the change or to the family’s concerns; or if there is a breakdown in how care is being given or confusion over what needs to be done for the patient.

Most of the 21 Condition H calls in the first nine months met at least one of the criteria, according to the journal article. Many were related to communication issues between patients and clinicians.

Although none of these early calls has averted a serious medical crisis, Condition H may do so in the future, said Pamela K. Greenhouse, the lead author of the article and associate to the vice president at UPMC’s Center for Quality Improvement and Innovation (CQII).