729: Bridging the Gap: Analyzing the Impact of Geographic Location on Rapid Response Outcomes

Introduction: Rapid response teams (RRTs) are common in hospitals, yet their impact on patient mortality remains debated. While numerous factors influence RRT effectiveness, the geographic location of patients within a hospital has not been widely explored. This study investigates how locations of patients relative to RRTs within a large medical center impact patient mortality. Methods: This retrospective cohort study was conducted at a single academic medical institution. Data was collected from March 1 to August 31, 2024 for patients who underwent a rapid response event. Patient demographics and patient location relative to an RRT base in Tower A were recorded, with locations categorized as Tower A, adjacent Towers B and C, or remote Tower D, located one block away and connected to the main hospital via bridges. Variables extracted from the medical record include times of RRT duration and arrival times. The primary outcome was inpatient mortality. Variables were compared using two-tailed t-tests and simple logistic regression analysis. Results: Of 903 RRT events, most occurred in Tower A (63.0%), followed by Tower D (28.3%), Tower B (7.1%), and Tower C (1.6%). The longest mean response time was in Tower D (7.6 minutes), followed by Towers C (6.3 minutes), B (5.1 minutes), and A (4.7 minutes). Intervention durations were longest in Tower D (54 minutes), followed by Towers A (44 minutes), C (36 minutes), and B (35 minutes). The overall in-hospital mortality rate was 30.8%, with the highest rate in Tower D (48.8%) and lower rates in Towers A (25.3%), B (12.5%) and C (0%). Response times were significantly longer in Towers D and C versus Tower A (p< 0.001 for both), and durations were significantly longer in Tower D versus Tower A (p< 0.001). Logistic regression showed both response time and duration correlated with mortality, but only response time was significantly associated (p=0.003 vs. p=0.113). Conclusions: RRT events that occur farther from the RRT base have longer response times and durations and trend towards higher mortality. While analysis is ongoing to adjust for confounders, our findings emphasize patient proximity to RRTs may indeed affect mortality. This highlights the need to optimize hospital layouts with strategically distributed RRTs to reduce delays in care and improve patient outcomes.