ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: To determine if enhancements developed to support the use of an electronic Early Warning System (EWS) resulted in quicker stabilization of clinical deterioration. BACKGROUND: Early Warning Systems are effective for alerting nurses to patient deterioration, but have not demonstrated positive clinical impact. An EWS embedded within an electronic medical record (EMR) was enhanced with tools to support nurses' ability to recognize and intervene in a timely manner for signs of deterioration. METHODS: A comparative design using retrospective EMR review evaluated time patients spent with higher risk EWS scores and time to reassessment after an EWS alert pre-and post-implementation of an enhanced EWS. RESULTS: There was a significant (pâ¯<â¯.001) decrease in time patients spent with higher risk EWS scores and time to reassessment following an EWS alert after implementing an enhanced EWS. CONCLUSION: Technology can be leveraged to support nursing practice and clinical decision making around management of clinical deterioration.
