ArticleJournal of advanced nursing2026
Wearable Electronic Monitoring of Vital Signs in Hospitalised Adults: A Nursing Focused Scoping Review of Clinical, Economic and Implementation Outcomes.
Article in Journal of advanced nursing, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
0 citing papers in PubMed.
No citing paper in PubMed yet.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
3 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
aimTo synthesise evidence on wearable devices for continuous vital signs monitoring in adult hospital inpatients, focusing on clinical effectiveness, nursing perspectives, workflow impact, patient experience and resource implications.
designScoping review. REVIEW
methodsJoanna Briggs Institute methodology reported using PRISMA-ScR guidelines. DATA SOURCES: Six databases (CINAHL, MEDLINE, EMBASE, Scopus, Web of Science, Cochrane), Scite.ai, and hand searching for studies published between January 2015 and November 2025. Data were synthesised using reflexive thematic analysis.
resultsSixty-seven studies from 19 countries were included. Four integrative themes were identified. (1) Enhancing clinical safety through continuous monitoring: wearable devices consistently enable earlier recognition of physiological deterioration; however, downstream outcomes such as length of stay and transfers to intensive care units were mixed and context dependent. (2) Transforming nursing practice and workflow integration highlighted improved situational awareness and potential efficiency gains, alongside challenges related to alarm overload, parallel documentation and implementation workload. (3) Patient experience of wearable monitoring: most patients reported reassurance and perceived safety, though experiences reflected a tension between monitoring as care and monitoring as surveillance; discomfort, anxiety, and privacy considerations were infrequently examined. (4) Economic and organisational consequences: potential system value was suggested through workforce efficiencies, but economic benefits were largely inferred, with infrastructure and training costs often underreported.
conclusionWearable continuous monitoring technologies show clear potential to support nursing observations enabling improved early detection of deterioration. Realising these benefits depends on effective integration into workflows, robust governance, and sustained nursing leadership rather than technological capability alone. Significant evidence gaps remain regarding long-term outcomes, economic evaluation, and large-scale implementation. IMPACT: Wearable devices for continuous vital signs monitoring have the potential to transform inpatient surveillance by enabling earlier recognition of physiological deterioration and enhancing nurses' situational awareness. This scoping review synthesises international evidence demonstrating that, although wearable monitoring can improve patient safety and workflow efficiency, its impact depends on effective integration into nursing practice, governance structures, and organisational preparedness. Continuous monitoring also introduces new challenges including alert fatigue, data interpretation, and workflow redesigns, highlighting the vital role of nursing leadership in digital health implementation. The review also identifies critical evidence gaps, particularly concerning long-term clinical outcomes, patient experience, and cost-effectiveness, providing priorities for future research and policy to promote safe, ethical, and sustainable adoption. PATIENT OR PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT: None.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.