Continuous Vital Sign Monitoring in a Surgical Ward

RECRUITING

NCT07690267

Sponsor: University Hospital, Akershus

Summary

Unsafe patient care remains a major contributor to global morbidity and mortality. In surgical wards, postoperative patients are typically monitored intermittently using the National Early Warning Score (NEWS-2), leaving periods during which clinical deterioration may go undetected. Continuous vital sign monitoring (CVSM) using wearable sensors offers the potential for earlier identification of deterioration compared with intermittent assessments. CVSM was introduced in a hospital ward as part of a hospital-initiated pilot implementation and is used alongside standard monitoring with NEWS-2. The purpose of the study is to evaluate this implementation. This observational study uses a pragmatic, quasi-experimental, multi-method, longitudinal design. The overall aims of the study are to evaluate the impact of CVSM implementation on patient outcomes, to explore healthcare professionals' perceptions of patient safety culture, turnover intention and pleasure of work, and to describe their experiences with implementation.

Official title: Continuous Vital Sign Monitoring in a Norwegian Hospital Surgical Ward: A Multi-Method Study of Patient Outcomes, Patient Safety Culture, and Nursing Staff Experiences

Key Details

Gender

All

Age Range

18 Years - Any

Study Type

OBSERVATIONAL

Enrollment

9600

Start Date

2025-09-01

Completion Date

2026-10-01

Last Updated

2026-07-08

Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Conditions

Continuous Vital Sign Monitoring Patient Monitoring Wearable Devices Telemonitoring Patient Safety Patient Deterioration Nurses Healthcare Professionals Patient Safety Culture Employee Motivation Work-related Outcomes Implementation Implementation Research

Interventions

OTHER

Continuous Vital Sign Monitoring (CVSM)

The intervention consists of continuous vital sign monitoring (CVSM) using wearable sensors applied to patients. A total of 16 sensors are implemented in a 29-bed gastro-surgical ward. The system continuously records patients' vital signs and transfers data to the electronic health record. Alerts are generated when predefined thresholds are exceeded and are delivered to nursing staff via smartphones and workstation monitors. The intervention is implemented in addition to usual practice with intermittent monitoring using the National Early Warning Score (NEWS-2), according to hospital protocol. Nursing staff receive training prior to implementation, and clinical responses to alerts are managed in accordance with hospital procedures. The intervention was implemented from September 2025 and continues during the study period.

Locations (1)

Akershus University Hospital HF

Lørenskog, Akershus, Norway

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