vHDU Phase 4
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Virtual HDU Phase 4: Ambulatory monitoring system user interface integration and development.
IRAS ID
259431
Contact name
Peter Watkinson
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Oxford/ Clinical Trials and Research Governance
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 1 months, 22 days
Research summary
Summary of Research
Sometimes in hospital, patients are not detected as becoming unwell quickly enough. This can mean that they are less likely to survive than if the worsening of their illness been picked up sooner. One reason for this may be that hospital staff are unable to monitor patients vital signs frequently enough to help them decide if a patient is becoming more unwell. Currently, for nurses to monitor patients, they are either attached to a static machine by the patient’s bedside or staff have to visit the patient every few hours to manually measure blood pressure, heart rate and respiratory rate amongst other readings. It is now possible that we can monitor patients using small devices which attach to the wrist, finger or chest. This means that nursing staff can continually obtain data from these patients even if the patients wish to mobilise or perform certain activities. We are trying to test some of these systems on patients within the clinical area. This will allow us to understand how well these systems work in the clinical environment and how wearable these devices are from the patient perspective. At this stage of study, none of the data from these devices will be available to clinical staff given that we need to test their accuracy, within the clinical setting first. We are also hoping to develop a computer system which allows staff to document and reviews these observations, which supports their clinical work flows currently employed. To develop this system, we will be using feedback at the beginning and the end of the study, from users to help us make the most suitable design which will work within their clinical environments.
Summary of Results
The aim of this study was to develop a user interface for an ambulatory monitoring system, which could be easily used in clinical practice by nursing staff. To do this we intended to conduct a series of focus groups with clinical staff to develop and refine the interface. We then planned to test the interface in clinical practice and gain feedback from patients and staff, in order to further refine and finalise the system.
We held two focus groups with clinical staff, using feedback to adjusting the interface. At this point, the COVID-19 pandemic was declared and this project was paused whilst the system was deployed into usual care to support nurses looking after patients with COVID-19. During this time, the primary outcome of this study – to develop and refine the user interface – was achieved in response to staff using the system during the pandemic. Therefore the later stages of this project – to test the interface in clinical care and gain further feedback – were no longer needed.
Three further focus groups were held with staff on the target ward, to explore whether the system should be further adjusted for the surgical population this system has been developed for. The system is now finalised and ready for testing in clinical practice.
REC name
South Central - Hampshire A Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
19/SC/0181
Date of REC Opinion
11 Apr 2019
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion