Five years of success for Critical Care Outreach Team
The VGH Critical Care Outreach Team (CCOT) has a lot to celebrate this November as they mark the 5th anniversary of their formation in 2008.
“I think one of our greatest achievements is how essential many clinicians at VGH, especially nurses, see our team being to the delivery of safe and quality care,” said Roger Outio, Critical Care Outreach Team coordinator.
In five years
- over 24,000 visits to patients
- over 6,700 calls for help
- between 58 and 60 calls per 1000 inpatient discharges
The results speak for themselves
A report on the first year of operation showed the team reduced the mortality rate of critically ill patients by 31 per cent. Length of stay dropped by 19 per cent and there were 14 per cent fewer admissions to the ICU. Fewer patients transferring to ICU means more beds for others in need – a critical point for VGH, BC’s only Level 1 Trauma Centre.
“CCOT helps us to have a better understanding of the patient’s condition. This allows us to intervene more effectively to prevent the need for a patient transfer to ICU. If a transfer to ICU is required, we are often initiating the transfer or the code blue in a controlled manner,” said Lara Pollard, patient care coordinator on acute medical unit T10 at VGH.
How it works
The team brings the expertise of the intensive care unit to the wards. Nursing and physician teams throughout the hospital can dial 8000 round the clock for a bedside visit and consultation from the team. The team empowers other care providers like nurses on the ward who do not need permission to call the team when patients show signs of deterioration. The CCOT does not take over a patient’s care. They perform “detective work” to answer questions like: How critical is the patient? What’s needed to stop and reverse deterioration? The team supports the unit staff and helps prevent deaths.
Who they are
The team is made up of a specially trained ICU nurse, a respiratory therapist and an intensive care physician. About 35 RNs, 26 RTs and 11 physicians work on the team. At any given time the team has one RN, one RT and one ICU physician covering VGH.
Related links
Critical Care Outreach Team pamphlet [PDF]