Background: Vital signs are a fundamental component of patient care. Omitted or inaccurately transcribed vital sign data could result in inappropriate, delayed, or missed treatment. A previous baseline study determined that the error rates for vital signs captured on plain paper then entered into a paper chart or electronic medical record (EMR) were 10% and 4.4%, respectively.

Methods: This study evaluated the impact of automated vital signs capture using a personal digital assistant (PDA) with bar code technology for patient identification. The system was implemented in a 20-bed cardiac step-down unit in a large Florida hospital. The PDA enabled wireless capture and transmission of data directly from the GE DINAMAP ProCare vital signs monitor into the EMR. Researchers reviewed 1 514 sets of vital signs collected electronically for accuracy and for comparison of the error rate with those for the previous paper and EMR systems.

Results: Automated upload of vital signs directly into an EMR reduced the documentation error rate to less than 1%. This represented an 85% to 93% reduction in vital sign documentation errors with the use of mobile technology, as compared with traditional charting methods (P < 0.001).

Conclusion: The automated vital signs data upload system helped to promote a culture of patient safety by significantly reducing documentation error rates. Additional safety benefits may include improved timeliness of vital sign data and clinical workflow processes.

Acknowledgment: This study was sponsored by GE Healthcare.