Detecting Patient Deterioration: A Comparison of Two Screening Tools

Abstract

This review of studies focuses on the Rothman Index (RI) versus the Modified Early Warning Score (MEWS) tools in order to examine the ability to accurately evaluate current patient conditions and outcomes. This extensive collection of information and data is useful towards improving quality of patient care as well as detecting patient health patterns. The RI uses assessments, vital signs, and real-time laboratory results to increase sensitivity for early patient detection of deterioration. The RI looks beyond the patient diagnosis and enables physicians and nursing staff to effectively communicate health care plan interventions and goals by viewing a continuously updated measure of patients’ conditions. On the other hand, the MEWS system is limited only to vital signs and patient mental status. MEWS fails to capture the many other aspects, which influence a patient’s condition. Thus, results determine that the RI is able to out-perform the MEWS in the detection of patient deterioration.