ACTION™ uses a structured and prioritised system of patient assessment and management to enable a preemptive approach to critical illness. It instructs staff in the recognition of impending clinical deterioration, the management of disordered physiology and other aspects of the delivery of acute care.
It is expected that the introduction of the ACTION™ course will result in specific benefits to patients, their relatives and hospital staff, such as:
- improvements in the general ward care of patients
- a reduced number of cardiac arrest calls on general wards
- earlier, and more appropriate referrals to the intensive care unit
- fewer avoidable in-hospital deaths
- improved decision-making regarding the resuscitation status of patients
- improved multi-professional teamwork & communication
ACTION™ is the ALERT™ course. It is called ACTION™ in Australia only due to copyright purposes internationally.
Course structure
The ACTION™ course is:
- a blended, flexible, learning programme
- multi-disciplinary
- practical demonstrations
- live seminars
- role-play clinical scenarios
- encourage candidates to reflect on their actions and to consider "What would I do next?"
An ACTION™ course manual, for pre–course reading, is provided to all attendees.