Hospital rapid response systems are designed to reduce unmet patient needs and prevent clinical deterioration. Rapid response teams are the principal component of a rapid response system and require teamwork to function optimally; poor communication among team members can result in substandard patient care. The authors describe a process for developing and implementing standardized communication and a teamwork structure for rapid response events (RREs) at a large academic hospital. The multidisciplinary team developed a project charter and key driver diagram, developed a "communication bundle," used quality improvement methodology, monitored adherence to the changes, and reported these data to key stakeholders on a weekly basis. By project end, the team met the goal of having 70% or more of adult RREs include the use of the "communication bundle." The balancing measure demonstrated that the introduction of a formalized communication framework did not significantly increase the duration of RREs.
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