An electronic observation system which will help to improve patient safety has been rolled out in clinical areas across University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust’s (UHMBT) three main hospital sites.
The e-Observation (eObs) system allows clinical staff to record their patient observations digitally such as temperature,blood pressure and oxygen saturation as well as calculating the National Early Warning System (NEWS2) score. The NEWS2 calculates and reflects whether a patient’s condition is improving or deteriorating and the appropriate escalation policy is presented to the clinician with a set of resulting actions.
The system has many benefits which have helped staff to manage patients with symptoms of COVID during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. These include:
reducing cross-infection as clinicians are using a digital system to input and retrieve information, reducing the need for paper notes
tracking patients who are on ventilators or with oxygen requirements
clinical staff being able to track and alert others on deteriorating patients
clinicians being able to assess patients remotely without being in proximity to the patient
assisting with discharge planning for patients.
Laura Neal, Associate Chief Nurse, UHMBT said: “How our teams across the Bay have mobilised and embraced this technology during the pandemic has been phenomenal.
“This electronic observation system, which has been configured and implemented by our clinical and I3 teams, will make a huge difference to staff and patients. It has some fantastic benefits which will help to improve patient outcomes and the quality of care delivered at the Trust.”