McGaughey, J., Fergusson, D. A., Van Bogaert, P., & Rose, L. (2021). Early warning systems and rapid response systems for the prevention of patient deterioration on acute adult hospital wards. The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 11(11), CD005529. https://doi.org/10.1002/14651858.CD005529.pub3
In the present article, McGaughey et al. (2021) review the effect of Early warning systems (EWS) and rapid response systems (RRS) as they have been implemented internationally in acute hospitals to facilitate early recognition, referral, and response to patient deterioration as a solution to address suboptimal ward‐based care. Their evaluation compares the intervention to patients receiving care without and the findings show some evidence that EWS and RRS may lead to noticeable differences in hospital mortality, unplanned ICU admissions, length of hospital stay or adverse events; and moderate‐certainty evidence of little to no difference on composite outcome. Given the significant insights, this resource is useful in proving to acute care stakeholders the appropriateness of EWS adoption. It is thus recommended that this resource be reviewed prior to the implementation of EWS improvements at the facility.
Augutis, W., Flenady, T., Le Lagadec, D., & Jefford, E. (2023). How do nurses use early warning system vital signs observation charts in rural, remote and regional health care facilities: A scoping review. Australian Journal of Rural Health, 31(3), 385-394. https://doi.org/10.1111/ajr.12971
In the present article, Augutis et al. (2023) review how nurses use early warning system vital signs observations in rural and remote healthcare facilities. Their findings show that while remote and regional clinicians use EWS to recognize and respond to clinical deterioration, noncompliance dilutes the tool's effectiveness. This discrepancy is underscored by the contributing factors of documentation, communication, and challenges specific to the rural context. Hence, they conclude that the success of EWS relies on accurate documentation and effective communication within the interdisciplinary team to support appropriate responses to clinical patient decline. Overall, this resource provides key insights on how EWS can be efficiently leveraged in any setting for better patient outcomes. It is thus highly recommended that this resource be reviewed before planning and implementing any EWS at the facility.
Watson, D., & Carberry, M. (2021). Nurses’ experiences of recording vital signs electronically: a pilot study. Nursing Times, 117(2), 55-58. https://www.nursingtimes.net/clinical-archive/assessment-skills/nurses-experiences-of-recording-vital-signs-electronically-a-pilot-study-18-01-2021/
In the present article, Watson and Carberry (2021) analyze the nurses’ experience of recording vital signs electronically. Banking on the reality that these systems play a vital role in ensuring accuracy and compliance, the study shows that staff found the system easy to use and it increased compliance and accuracy. Nevertheless, the system required significant infrastructure and IT support to ensure successful implementation. This resource is likely to be more useful for nurses as a resource to ensure efficient EWS implementation or upgrade at the facility. Before any tech adoption, assessing how the users perceive it is key to successful change adoption. Hence, it is recommended that this resource be reviewed prior to implementing EWS technology at the facility as an approach to solving delayed responses to deteriorating patient conditions.