Patient case mix has changed, often with more chronic diseases and complex problems.
Patient case mix has changed, often with more chronic diseases and complex problems.
The length of hospital stay is decreasing and trending toward individual hospital rooms.
Nurse workloads are also increasing making it challenging to prioritise activities.
Patient deterioration on general wards has the potential to go unnoticed between scheduled observations. This poses a significant risk for patients and can delay the detection of serious issues such as: internal bleeding; sepsis; pulmonary embolism and in-hospital cardiac arrests. Early recognition of clinical deterioration, followed by prompt and effective action can minimise the occurrence of adverse events such as cardiac arrest, and reduce mortality 2.
In-hospital falls represent a significant risk to both patients and hospitals, which is challenging to prevent. Falls often take place when a patient wakes up and tries to get themselves out of bed. A fall may result in fractures, lacerations or internal bleeding, leading to increased healthcare utilisation.