Closer to Understanding the Value Proposition for Medical Emergency Teams

Medical emergency teams (METs) are common features of adult and pediatric hospitals and have been accepted as beneficial by many in health care, including regulatory agencies.^1–9  In pediatrics, the value (quality outcome / cost) derived from operating METs is not known. Bonafide et al¹⁰  report the first significant effort in children to address MET value by detailing costs, in their large children’s hospital, associated with patient critical deteriorations (CDs) and MET operations. To account for differing structures, Bonafide et al ¹⁰  calculate MET operating costs by modeling various commonly deployed MET staffing compositions and whether the team is freestanding or comprises individuals with concurrent responsibilities. After adjusting for multiple confounders, the authors report that total hospital costs after unplanned admissions to the ICU for patients suffering CD are $99 773 greater than for unplanned ICU admissions without CD. Annualizing MET operating costs and utilizing the aforementioned...