Introduction: Early Warning Score (EWS) protocols are based on intermittent vital sign measurements, and aim to detect clinical deterioration in a timely manner. Despite its predictive value, its effectiveness remains suboptimal. An important limitation appears to be poor compliance with the EWS protocol …

Patients on general wards are at risk of complications, often associated with deviations in vital signs. Unfortunately, the currently used manual method of intermittently measuring vital signs is not optimal, potentially leading to late recognition and treatment of complications, and sometimes with serious …

Background: Hospital stays after colorectal surgery are increasingly being reduced by enhanced recovery and early discharge protocols. As a result, postoperative complications may frequently manifest after discharge in the home setting, potentially leading to emergency room presentations and readmissions. …

Background: Continuous monitoring of vital signs (CMVS) using wearable wireless sensors is increasingly available to patients in general wards and can improve outcomes and reduce nurse workload. To assess the potential impact of such systems, successful implementation is important. We developed a CMVS …

BACKGROUND: Efficient communication between (helicopter) emergency medical services ((H)EMS) and healthcare professionals in the emergency department (ED) is essential to facilitate appropriate team mobilization and preparation for critically ill patients. A correct estimated time of arrival (ETA) is …

Aim The aim of this study is to explore patients’ and (in)formal caregivers’ perspectives on their role(s) and contributing factors in the course of unplanned hospital readmission of older cardiac patients in the Cardiac Care Bridge (CCB) program. Design This study is a qualitative multiple case study …

Aim: The aim of this study is to explore patients' and (in)formal caregivers' perspectives on their role(s) and contributing factors in the course of unplanned hospital readmission of older cardiac patients in the Cardiac Care Bridge (CCB) program. Design: This study is a qualitative multiple case study …

The concept of deterrence has dominated Western strategic thought for some seven decades. It shows no signs of easing its grip. In the face of any new security threat, such as terrorism or cyber-attacks, one of the fi rst questions to be asked is ‘ can this be deterred? ’ Even when the answer is not very …

Background: This systematic review aimed to describe non-conveyance in ambulance care from patient-safety and ambulance professional perspectives. The review specifically focussed at describing (1) ambulance non-conveyance rates, (2) characteristics of non-conveyed patients, (3) follow-up care after …

BACKGROUND: Conflicting evidence exists on the effectiveness of routinely measured vital signs on the early detection of increased probability of adverse events. PURPOSE: To assess the clinical relevance of routinely measured vital signs in medically and surgically hospitalized patients through a systematic …