We have ways of tracking patient deterioration. So why aren’t we using them to save lives?

Dr Malcolm Fisher
Dr Malcolm Fisher.

I like to look back at my career — both the successes and the failures.

Although I am now non-practising, I believe I have insight into some of the possible solutions for the problems in our health system.

I have very fond and proud memories of a program I helped develop called Between the Flags (BTF).

It was based on work by intensive care specialist Professor Ken Hillman suggesting that outcomes improved when hospital cardiac arrest teams focused on patients when they were deteriorating or about to have an arrest, rather than waiting for a code to be called.