VitalPAC is a market-leading mobile clinical system, originally developed by The Learning Clinic and now part of System C's CareFlow e-observations suite. It is designed for use by nurses and doctors at the patient's bedside to replace error-prone, paper-based observation charts with a fast, accurate, and reliable electronic system. The product is a critical tool for patient safety and clinical workflow efficiency, primarily deployed in large hospital environments like NHS Trusts in the UK.
Key Features and Capabilities:
- Electronic Vital Signs Recording: Clinicians use handheld devices (e.g., iPod touch, iPad) to input patient observations (pulse, temperature, blood pressure, etc.) directly at the bedside, eliminating transcription errors.
- Automatic Early Warning Score (EWS) Calculation: The system automatically calculates a patient's EWS (using the validated VitalPAC Early Warning Score - ViEWS) in real-time, providing an immediate, objective assessment of their condition.
- Real-time Clinical Deterioration Alerts: VitalPAC generates urgent, automated alerts and escalation prompts when a patient's EWS reaches a critical threshold, ensuring rapid intervention by senior staff and emergency medical response teams.
- Clinical Decision Support: The system provides real-time visibility and a complete clinical picture for doctors, enabling them to prioritize their workload and provide instructions and guidance back to ward staff.
- Comprehensive Clinical Monitoring: Beyond core vital signs, the system can be used for monitoring venous thromboembolism (VTE) prophylaxis, indwelling devices, dementia, alcohol consumption, nutrition, and MRSA.
- Integration and Audit: It integrates tightly with the hospital's Patient Administration System (PAS), Electronic Patient Record (EPR), pathology, and radiology systems. All actions are automatically recorded, creating a complete audit trail for compliance and governance.
Target Users and Use Cases:
VitalPAC is used by nurses, doctors, senior nurses, and specialist teams (e.g., critical care outreach, infection control). Its primary use cases are centered around improving patient safety and operational efficiency:
- Early Detection & Intervention: Identifying deteriorating patients quickly to reduce cardiac arrests and unplanned Intensive Treatment Unit (ITU) admissions.
- Mortality Reduction: Hospitals using VitalPAC have reported sustained reductions in hospital-wide mortality rates.
- Workflow Optimization: Reducing the time spent on paperwork, ensuring timely observations, and enabling safer, more rapid handovers between shifts and specialist teams.
- Infection Control: Acting as a surveillance system for conditions like MRSA and Norovirus (one hospital reported a 95% reduction in Norovirus outbreaks).