Patient monitoring and observation at Noble’s Hospital are more efficient now thanks to the introduction of new digital technology.

A new system of recording patients’ condition on a hand-held digital device should improve care by flagging up any deterioration much sooner.

After running a pilot scheme at the hospital, all the medical wards are now equipped with the system which replaces the old paper observation sheets previously used.

Now, statistics such as respiration and pulse rates, blood pressure and temperature are all recorded digitally on the device at the bedside. The device is linked into a system called Patientrack, which attaches scores to the data to assess if a patient is stable, improving or deteriorating.

The system means any change in the patient’s condition can be identified and addressed more rapidly than previously.

Kate Gaunt, who has led the implementation said: ’Clinical staff are all very busy people and any new observation system, with all the learning and training that goes with it, really has to prove its worth. Patientrack has done just that. And it’s the dedication and engagement of all the nursing staff that made it possible.’

Each ward using Patientrack has a centrally-positioned monitor which lets nurses see the current status of each patient and when the next observations are due. In addition, medical and critical care teams are able to monitor patients from anywhere in the hospital, giving early warning of potentially serious deterioration in a patient’s condition.

Experience of Patientrack in the UK has shown a reduction in cardiac arrest, death in out of hours’ admissions, and a reduction in critical care length of stay.