Wearables alone will not eliminate failure to rescue.

Surveys suggest that anaesthesiologists believe that continuous monitoring with wearables will lead to improved patient outcomes. However, evidence suggests that several critical factors, including timely recognition of physiological problems, the presence of a trained team to respond to the alerts, and that the alerts occur far in advance of the deterioration, are required before overall improvement can occur. Wearables alone will not change patients' outcomes, they must be implemented as part of a system change that takes advantage of the higher frequency observations that continuous monitoring provides.

An impedance pneumography signal quality index: Design, assessment and application to respiratory rate monitoring.

Impedance pneumography (ImP) is widely used for respiratory rate (RR) monitoring. However, ImP-derived RRs can be imprecise. The aim of this study was to develop a signal quality index (SQI) for the ImP signal, and couple it with a RR algorithm, to improve RR monitoring.

Performance of universal early warning scores in different patient subgroups and clinical settings: a systematic review.

Objective: To assess predictive performance of universal early warning scores (EWS) in disease subgroups and clinical settings.

Design: Systematic review.

Data Sources: Medline, CINAHL, Embase and Cochrane database of systematic reviews from 1997 to 2019.

Implementing a system for the real-time risk assessment of patients considered for intensive care.

Background: Delay in identifying deterioration in hospitalised patients is associated with delayed admission to an intensive care unit (ICU) and poor outcomes. For the HAVEN project (HICF ref.: HICF-R9-524), we have developed a mathematical model that identifies deterioration in hospitalised patients in real time and facilitates the intervention of an ICU outreach team.

Early warning scores for detecting deterioration in adult hospital patients: systematic review and critical appraisal of methodology.

Objective: To provide an overview and critical appraisal of early warning scores for adult hospital patients.

Design: Systematic review.

Data Sources: Medline, CINAHL, PsycInfo, and Embase until June 2019.

Patient centred variables with univariate associations with unplanned ICU admission: a systematic review.

Background: Multiple predictive scores using Electronic Patient Record data have been developed for hospitalised patients at risk of clinical deterioration. Methods used to select patient centred variables for inclusion in these scores varies. We performed a systematic review to describe univariate associations with unplanned Intensive Care Unit (ICU) admission with the aim of assisting model development for future scores that predict clinical deterioration.

Breathing Rate Estimation From the Electrocardiogram and Photoplethysmogram: A Review.

Breathing rate (BR) is a key physiological parameter used in a range of clinical settings. Despite its diagnostic and prognostic value, it is still widely measured by counting breaths manually. A plethora of algorithms have been proposed to estimate BR from the electrocardiogram (ECG) and pulse oximetry (photoplethysmogram, PPG) signals.

Early warning scores for detecting deterioration in adult hospital patients: a systematic review protocol.

Introduction: Early warning scores (EWSs) are used extensively to identify patients at risk of deterioration in hospital. Previous systematic reviews suggest that studies which develop EWSs suffer methodological shortcomings and consequently may fail to perform well. The reviews have also identified that few validation studies exist to test whether the scores work in other settings.

A ward-based time study of paper and electronic documentation for recording vital sign observations.

Objective: To investigate time differences in recording observations and an early warning score using traditional paper charts and a novel e-Obs system in clinical practice.

Methods: Researchers observed the process of recording observations and early warning scores across 3 wards in 2 university teaching hospitals immediately before and after introduction of the e-Obs system. The process of recording observations included both measurement and documentation of vital signs.

Extraction of respiratory signals from the electrocardiogram and photoplethysmogram: technical and physiological determinants.

Objective: Breathing rate (BR) can be estimated by extracting respiratory signals from the electrocardiogram (ECG) or photoplethysmogram (PPG). The extracted respiratory signals may be influenced by several technical and physiological factors. In this study, our aim was to determine how technical and physiological factors influence the quality of respiratory signals.

An assessment of algorithms to estimate respiratory rate from the electrocardiogram and photoplethysmogram.

Over 100 algorithms have been proposed to estimate respiratory rate (RR) from the electrocardiogram (ECG) and photoplethysmogram (PPG). As they have never been compared systematically it is unclear which algorithm performs the best. Our primary aim was to determine how closely algorithms agreed with a gold standard RR measure when operating under ideal conditions.

Evaluation of the effects of implementing an electronic early warning score system: protocol for a stepped wedge study.

Background: An Early Warning Score is a clinical risk score based upon vital signs intended to aid recognition of patients in need of urgent medical attention. The use of an escalation of care policy based upon an Early Warning Score is mandated as the standard of practice in British hospitals. Electronic systems for recording vital sign observations and Early Warning Score calculation offer theoretical benefits over paper-based systems.

SEND: a system for electronic notification and documentation of vital sign observations.

Background: Recognising the limitations of a paper-based approach to documenting vital sign observations and responding to national clinical guidelines, we have explored the use of an electronic solution that could improve the quality and safety of patient care. We have developed a system for recording vital sign observations at the bedside, automatically calculating an Early Warning Score, and saving data such that it is accessible to all relevant clinicians within a hospital trust. We have studied current clinical practice of using paper observation charts, and attempted to streamline the process.

Signal-quality indices for the electrocardiogram and photoplethysmogram: derivation and applications to wireless monitoring.

The identification of invalid data in recordings obtained using wearable sensors is of particular importance since data obtained from mobile patients is, in general, noisier than data obtained from nonmobile patients. In this paper, we present a signal quality index (SQI), which is intended to assess whether reliable heart rates (HRs) can be obtained from electrocardiogram (ECG) and photoplethysmogram (PPG) signals collected using wearable sensors. The algorithms were validated on manually labeled data.

The digital patient.

Despite efforts, the detection of patients who are deteriorating in hospital is often later than it should be. Several technologies could provide the basis of a solution. Recording of vital signs could be improved by both automated transmission of the measured parameters to an electronic patient record and the use of unobtrusive wearable monitors that track the patient's physiology continuously.