Accurate Vital Checks Are More Critical Than Ever
Manual documentation in a single site study showed an almost 20% error rate in vitals charted to the EMR.1 Staff shortages may leave little time to input data until after rounds. These lag times can jeopardize critical decision making and so can gaps in vital information. 1, 2
Challenges in Manual Vital Checks:
Warning Signs May Appear Early:
8 to 12 hours beforehand
Research suggests that the signs and symptoms of clinical deterioration are present as early as eight to twelve hours prior to an event or arrest. 5
Download our trend report, “Early Detection and Response to Patient Deterioration in General Care” to learn how to make faster, more informed care decisions.
Objectivity is Vital
Diverse experience levels across clinical teams can lead to vital signs being documented differently. In one study, nurses manually recorded nearly 72% of all respiratory rates as either 18 or 20 bpm, whereas only 13% measured by trained observers had these same values.6
The discrepancy confirms a significant bias and/or multiplication artifact with visual assessment.6 Switching to a trusted device can provide the objectivity to increase both consistency and accuracy.
Stay Ahead of Deterioration
Signs and symptoms of patient deterioration can be a challenge to manually detect in early stages since they present subtly. Automated Early Warning Scores can help change that.
The Impact of Early Warning Scoring (EWS): When calculated three times per day on patients, one site saw the following results when compared with floors not using protocolized EWS7,8:
- 2X the number of Rapid Response Team calls based on EWS indications
- 40% decrease in the rate of ICU transfers following RRT activation
Find the right device to help alert your care teams for early detection.
Bring Early Warning Scoring to the Bedside
Early indicators of patient deterioration are difficult to detect. Get the full picture of signs and symptoms to enable faster, more informed decisions on providing care.5
Welch Allyn Connex vital signs devices help hospitals combine vital signs measurement with additional patient observational information — all in a single workflow:
- Vital signs and additional collected information are automatically calculated, generating an overall patient score directly at the bedside.
- Clinicians are prompted with messages, providing a specific response based on the score and your facility’s protocols.
- Complete information can be sent directly to the patient’s record in the EMR.
?$responsive$&fmt=png-alpha)
Help Prevent Sepsis with Spot Checks
Meet the Welch Allyn Connex Spot Monitor
- Bolster confidence and accuracy via automation
- Directly connect data to EMRs
- Base your decisions with current patient information
- Go beyond routine vitals to capture key indicators of deterioration
Help Prevent Patient Deterioration with Continuous Monitoring
Meet the Welch Allyn Connex Vital Signs Monitor
- Receive immediate alerts of critical conditions and step-by-step proactive guidance
- Assess and track everything from cardiac activity to pulse oximetry, respiratory status and more
- Instantly and accurately input data into electronic records
- Help improve clinician response time
Breathe Easier
General care floors are faced with several unique challenges in early detection of patient deterioration. Patient acuity levels are rising, but staff-to-patient ratios generally are not.9 Read more in our trend report or contact an expert today to learn how you can simplify workflows and patient care.
- CIN: Computers, Informatics, Nursing: Eliminating Errors in Vital Signs Documentation, Fieler, Vicki K. PhD, RN, AOCN; Jaglowski, Thomas BSN, RN; Richards, Karen DNP, RN, NE-BC, 2013.
- Vital Signs Time Study and CIT Nursing Unit Assessment Report, Data on File
- Fieler, et al. Eliminating Errors in Vital Signs Documentation. NursingCenter. 2013. https://www.jointcommissionjournal.com/article/S1553-7250(18)30040-0/pdf
- Elliot, M. (2016). Why is Respiratory Rate the Neglected Vital Sign? A Narrative Review. Inter Arch of Nursing and Healthcare.
- Whittington J, White R, Haig K, Slock M. Using an Automated Risk Assessment Report to Identify Patients at Risk for Clinical Deterioration. The Joint commission Journal on Quality and Patient Safety 33(9): 569-574.2007.
- Semler, MW et al, Flash mob research: a single-day, multicenter, resident-directed study of respiratory rate. Chest. 2013; 143:1740-1744.
- Parker, C. J. (2014). Decision-making models used by medical-surgical nurses to activate rapid response teams. MedSurge Nursing, 23(3), 159-164.
- Ludikhuize, J., Borgert, M., Binnekade, J., Subbe, C., Dongelmans, D., & Goossens, A. (2014). Standardized measurement of the Modified Early Warning Score results in enhanced implementation of a Rapid Response System: A quasi-experimental study. Resuscitation, 85(2014): 676-82.
- Joel Ray^, Colonel (Ret.) USAF, NC, MSN, RN, NEA-BC; Julia Aucoin^, DNS, RN, NPD-BC; Susan Kayser*, PhD; Angela Murray*, MN, RN, Current State of the Nursing Shortage in the United States.