A Feasibility Study Assessing a Novel Ambulatory Monitoring System in General Ward Areas: Pilot Study.
Meera Joshi, Pavidra Sivanandarajah, Michael Wright and 2 others
PMID 40211467WHAT IT FOUND
Patients and ward staff rated a wearable continuous monitor acceptable: 92% of clinicians said it was good or very good to use, and 76% of patients felt safer wearing it.
This is feasibility, not proof of earlier deterioration detection.
Key findings
0192% of clinicians rated the monitoring system as good or very good to use.
0291% of patients agreed the sensors were comfortable or very comfortable, and 76% agreed or strongly agreed they felt safer by wearing the system.
03Clinicians' responses about supporting earlier mobilisation were mixed: 7% strongly agreed and 44% agreed, while 37% neither agreed nor disagreed and 11% disagreed.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
The study was a feasibility survey and was not powered to detect changes in clinical outcomes. It reported perceptions of comfort, reassurance and workflow, not measured deterioration, mortality, length of stay, alarms or technical performance. The sample was small and from one hospital, with 34 patients and 27 clinicians. The survey tool was created with the sponsor and had no formal psychometrics. One patient withdrew and only baseline data are presented, while patient feedback is reported from 34 participants, so the analysed patient number is unclear. The report says clinical staff were blinded to the study device while live data were visible to ward staff, so blinding and workflow effects are unclear. The study was conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic, which may have changed ward practice and acceptance of monitoring.
Declared interests
The funder named is GE Healthcare. The monitoring system is Portrait Mobile from GE HealthCare. S.K. and M.J. have undertaken consulting for GE HealthCare, J.B. is employed by GE HealthCare, and M.W. and P.S. have no conflicts to declare. The survey tool was created by the research site in collaboration with the study sponsor.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that continuous monitoring improves patient safety or detects deterioration earlier. This was a feasibility survey of perceptions, not a clinical outcome study, and it was not powered to detect changes in outcomes.