At the Medanets User Days in February, Registered Nurse and Medical Device Specialist Petteri Karhukorpi from the Wellbeing Services County of Central Ostrobothnia, Soite, presented their work on developing Medical Emergency Team practices.
Soite’s Medical Emergency Team operations have been introduced in phases at Central Ostrobothnia Central Hospital since October 2025. The aim is to improve patient outcomes by identifying clinical deterioration at an early stage. Prompt and appropriate response to detected disturbances in vital functions enables stabilising treatment to begin without delay. This approach helps reduce the risk of cardiac arrest or the need for intensive care. When necessary, patients can be transferred more quickly to the appropriate level of care. For some patients, treatment limitations may be considered if their medical prognosis proves to be poor.
The mobile solution supports MET operations
The Medanets mobile solution supports Soite’s MET operations in several ways. A key tool is the Medanets Early Warning Score. The model is based on systematic EWS monitoring carried out on hospital wards.
According to Soite’s local guidelines, a nurse must activate a MET call if the total EWS score is 7 or higher, or if any single parameter scores 3 or more. A MET call should be considered when the total score exceeds 5.
During the User Days, participants reflected on the most common reason for delays in activating a MET call. 45% of respondents via the Slido tool believed that the main reason is that nurses may hesitate to initiate the call. The use of EWS scoring can support decision making in these situations, as the score provides a clear clinical rationale for escalation. At Soite, the guidance texts within the Medanets EWS tool have been updated to align with their MET protocol.
In addition, Soite has explored whether Medanets Dashboard and Checklists could be further utilised to support the ongoing development of MET operations.
Data driven monitoring and continuous improvement
The Medanets Admin UI andiminstration and reporting tool is used to monitor operations. EWS statistics generated through Admin UI are combined with data on MET team visits collected by Soite.
This data makes it possible to assess whether practice aligns with organisational guidelines. For example, it shows what proportion of patients receive an EWS assessment and how many EWS results above 5 lead to a MET contact. Ward specific EWS to MET ratios are also reviewed to determine whether MET activity corresponds to the ward’s risk profile. This ratio is calculated by comparing the number of EWS results above 5 with the number of MET visits.
The data also helps identify delayed MET calls. At Soite, particular attention is paid to cases where the EWS is 7 or higher, a single parameter scores 3 or more, or where there has been sudden clinical concern about a patient’s condition without a timely MET activation.
In terms of impact, Soite monitors the proportion of patients transferred to intensive care following a MET contact and reviews their preceding EWS scores. Resuscitation statistics are also analysed, including the ratio of resuscitation events to MET visits.
The objective of this monitoring is to embed MET practice in line with organisational guidelines and to support leadership, quality management and practical service development.