NSQHS 8 Recognising
National Consensus Statement: Essential elements for recognising and responding to acute physiological deterioration
The National Consensus Statement: Essential elements for recognising and responding to acute physiological deterioration sets out the agreed practice for recognising and responding to acute physiological deterioration. It was developed as a generic document that applies to all patients in all acute care facilities in Australia.
National Consensus Statement contents
The 2021 National Consensus Statement outlines the:
- Importance of providing safe and high-quality care to patients who deteriorate in hospitals
- Clinical processes required to recognise these patients, and respond to them appropriately
- Organisational systems required to ensure that patients who deteriorate are recognised and responded to.
The third edition of the Consensus Statement includes an increased emphasis on the importance of determining the reason for deterioration, including forming, testing, communicating, managing and documenting provisional and differential diagnoses.
The Consensus Statement describes eight essential elements for prompt and reliable recognition of, and response to, physiological deterioration of patients in acute healthcare facilities in Australia.
National Consensus Statement resources
These resources were developed with the first edition of the Consensus Statement. They remain useful and are being reviewed and mapped to the latest edition of the Consensus Statement. It is anticipated they will be updated during 2022.
A comprehensive Guide to Support Implementation of the National Consensus Statement helps health service providers to identify strategies for successfully implementing robust recognition and response systems.
A series of five Quick-Start Guides enables rapid access to the key requirements for implementation of the Consensus Statement.