October 15, 2014 |

Vital signs app proves effective in reducing deaths

Using a hand-held computer and the mobile app VitalPAC, developed by the Learning Clinic, nurses at Queen Alexandra Hospital in Portsmouth and University Hospital Coventry in the United Kingdom saw a 15 percent drop in mortality rates at each hospital between 2005 and 2010. That drop in deaths translated to more than 370 a year at each hospital.

The study, the results of which were published in BMJ Quality and Safety, showed that use of a mobile app that records a person's vital signs was more effective than recording these data in paper charts.

Much of VitalPACs success can be attributed to the fact that this app not only records vital signs but also calculates the amount of deterioration in a patient's condition and will alert the nursing staff when changes occur.

Additionally, data collected using this app can be shared with the entire clinical team via the hospital's own mobile network.