Hand-held computers analyse patients' vital signs, improve patient care
and reduce costs
30 March 2007 Portsmouth, UK. Patients in need of urgent medical
attention will be identified and treated more rapidly with the help of a new
hand-held computer system.
VitalPAC, designed by The Learning Clinic in conjunction with Microsoft
and Portsmouth Hospitals NHS Trust, records, stores, and analyses a
patient’s vital signs (pulse, blood pressure, respiratory rate, etc)
allowing clinicians to effectively monitor the condition of their patients
in real time throughout a hospital stay. Following a successful
in-hospital trial running since March 2005, Portsmouth Hospital NHS Trust is
installing the VitalPAC across the Queen Alexandra site, its major acute
hospital. Studies have shown the system to produce three times fewer
errors in the recording and scoring of vital signs data compared to
traditional pen and paper methods.
Often the sudden deterioration in a patient’s condition can be
preventable if they are identified in time as being ‘at risk’. It is
estimated that over 20,000 in-hospital cardiac arrests and similar numbers
of unanticipated intensive care unit admissions may be avoidable annually in
the UK with earlier recognition and better treatment. Based on its
experience so far, The Learning Clinic estimates that the Trust could save
several million pounds over the next few years by using VitalPAC. Early
results indicate that just one ward may save £1 million per year by using
the system. Nurses enter key clinical data into hand-held computers at the
bedside, rather than onto a traditional paper observation chart. VitalPAC
analyses these readings, along with data such as blood test results stored
in other hospital databases, and identifies priority patients using an early
warning score. An urgent alert is given if the early warning score reveals
the patient to be in need of immediate medical attention. All readings are
automatically sent via a wireless LAN to a central server. This means that
the data can be reviewed on the hospital intranet, tablet PCs, or on other
PDAs by any clinician anywhere in the hospital. Professor Gary Smith,
Consultant in Critical Care at Portsmouth Hospitals NHS Trust and clinical
lead for the project, said of the announcement: “This is an exciting moment
for Portsmouth. We believe the VitalPAC system to be a key tool in ensuring
improved patient-focused care, enhanced patient safety and greater
efficiency in the care of sick patients.” Roger Killen, Managing Director,
The Learning Clinic, said: “The VitalPAC system is a huge step forward for
the NHS in the care of patients and the management of resources. Not only
will it help ensure the safety of the patient, but it also promotes their
timely progress through the tests and investigations that help the clinical
teams make accurate diagnosis and treatment.” John Coulthard, Director of
Healthcare for Microsoft comments: “These are exciting times for technology
in the health sector and VitalPAC is a fantastic example of smart technology
delivering tangible benefits to NHS staff and patients.” The Learning
Clinic and Microsoft are now working with Portsmouth Hospitals NHS Trust to
extend the technology to meet the specific needs of hospital doctors.
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