What is it about?
This study tested whether new digital “patient safety monitors” (PSMs) – electronic boards that display real-time information about vital signs, medications, and risk screenings – could improve care and safety for hospital patients. Researchers compared more than 5,000 orthopedic patients admitted before and after PSMs were introduced at Akershus University Hospital. They examined hospital length of stay, readmissions, deaths, and whether key safety checks such as nutritional and fall risk screening were performed. The results showed that the implementation of PSMs did not reduce hospital length of stay, and there were no improvements in readmission or mortality. Some safety checks were done less often, while medication reconciliation improved.
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Why is it important?
Hospitals worldwide invest heavily in digital dashboards and safety tools, assuming they will reduce errors and improve outcomes. Our findings show that simply installing such systems may not automatically make care safer or more efficient. Successful use of digital safety technology depends on how it is introduced, integrated into daily routines, and supported by staff training. Understanding these factors is crucial before wide-scale implementation in healthcare systems.
Perspectives
From my perspective as a clinician-researcher, the study highlights how difficult it is to demonstrate measurable clinical benefits from digital safety tools in real hospital settings. Even well-designed systems can fall short if they are not fully embedded in daily workflows. For future work, I believe combining quantitative outcomes with qualitative assessments of staff engagement will be key to identifying what actually makes these technologies effective.
Kristian Berge
Akershus University Hospital
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Pragmatic, quasi-experimental, pseudo-randomized clinical trial to assess the impact of patient safety monitors on clinical and patient safety outcomes: The Akershus Clinical Trial (ACT) 1, PLOS One, October 2025, PLOS,
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0335052.
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