LAUSR

Key Points Question How well do documented vital signs reflect the physiologic trends of emergency department patients, and how can vital sign monitoring be improved to better capture clinically relevant changes? Findings In this cross-sectional study of 25 751 monitored adult emergency department visits, documented vital signs offered a limited description of actual physiologic trends and failed to capture many vital sign abnormalities. Simulated alternative monitoring strategies were associated with significant improvement in the description of patient physiology and produced more timely alerts of clinical deterioration. Meaning These findings suggest that current patient monitoring practices may be improved without increasing the overall frequency of patient monitoring.