Using mobile technology to record patient observations: Impact on care management and clinical practice

Costello, Shannon Katie 2024. Using mobile technology to record patient observations: Impact on care management and clinical practice. PhD Thesis, Cardiff University. Item availability restricted.

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Abstract

The CareFlow Vitals system was introduced by health boards in Wales to enable staff working at the bedside to record patient observations on iPads. This software automatically calculates the early warning score (used to monitor patients’ health and determine the degree of illness) and time to the observation. Although research in this area is quickly evolving as similar systems are introduced in healthcare settings worldwide, little is known about the impact these systems have on clinical decision making and patient care management. This study aimed to explore the impact of CareFlow Vitals installed on iPads on patient care management and clinical practice from the perspectives of a range of healthcare staff using the technology. This research is a mixed methods study utilising case study and survey designs. The case studies comprise two hospitals within the one health board: Castle Plains, a smaller hospital and an initial pilot site for implementation of the system; and South Fields, a larger hospital that introduced the system during the Covid-19 pandemic. Participants (n=50) were observed using the mobile devices with CareFlow Vitals over 109 hours across different wards alongside semi-structured interviews (n=14) with health care support workers, nurses, ward managers, clinicians, and hospital management staff. A survey gathered responses (n=105) from a wider population and offered opportunities to triangulate quantitative data with the qualitative data from interviews and observations. The results detail how the devices are used in practice. Benefits (time-saving, safer patient care, and remote access for clinicians) and disadvantages (less patient contact time with doctors, system/WiFi failure, and low battery) are identified and explored in the context of technology acceptance models. This research provided decision makers with insights into the effectiveness of a digital patient vital signs recording system against the backdrop of an overloaded healthcare system recovering from a global pandemic.

Item Type:	Thesis (PhD)
Date Type:	Completion
Status:	Submitted
Schools:	Social Sciences (Includes Criminology and Education)
Subjects:	H Social Sciences > H Social Sciences (General)
Date of First Compliant Deposit:	25 September 2024
Last Modified:	25 Sep 2024 08:51
URI:	https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/172354

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