Continuous Vital Sign Monitoring for Early Detection of Deterioration outside High Intensity Care Settings

Unnoticed patient deterioration is an important and frequent cause of in-hospital mortality. The monitoring gap, sometimes referred to as “the critical care gap,” between high-dependency units and general care wards, is well known and could potentially be bridged by new wireless sensor technology enabling continuous monitoring. In this chapter, we address the current evidence and potential benefits of continuous monitoring outside high-care facilities. What parameters should be monitored and what important characteristics of the sensor and monitoring system should be considered, as well as the complexity of implementation, are discussed.