scholarly journals A study to introduce National Early Warning Scores (NEWS) in care homes: Influence on decision‐making and referral processes

Nursing Open ◽  
2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Philip Hodgson ◽  
Jane Greaves ◽  
Glenda Cook ◽  
Angela Fraser ◽  
Lesley Bainbridge
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Early Warning ◽  
Care Homes ◽  
Early Warning Scores

scholarly journals National Early Warning Scores And COVID-19 Deaths In Care Homes: An Ecological Time Series Study

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 962-963
Author(s):  
Daniel Stow ◽  
Robert Barker ◽  
Fiona Matthews ◽  
Barbara Hanratty
Keyword(s):  
Time Series ◽  
Oxygen Saturation ◽  
Respiratory Rate ◽  
Early Warning ◽  
Disease Surveillance ◽  
Care Home ◽  
Outcome Data ◽  
Care Homes ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
Early Warning Scores

Abstract Tracking COVID-19 infections in the care home population has been challenging, because of the limited availability of testing and varied disease presentation. We consider whether National Early Warning Scores (NEWS/NEWS2) could contribute to COVID-19 surveillance in care homes. We analysed NEWS measurements from care homes in England (December 2019 to May 2020). We estimated pre-COVID (baseline) levels for NEWS and NEWS components using 80th and 20th centile scores for measurements before March 2020. We used time-series to compare the proportion of above-baseline NEWS to area-matched reports of registered deaths in care home residents from the Office for National Statistics We analysed 29,656 anonymised NEWS from 6,464 people in 480 care home units across 46 local authority areas. From March 23rd to May 20th, there were 5,753 deaths (1,532 involving COVID-19, 4,221 other causes) in corresponding geographical areas. A rise in the proportion of above-baseline NEWS was observed from March 16th 2020. The proportion of above-baseline oxygen saturation, respiratory rate and temperature measurements also increased approximately two weeks before peaks in deaths. We conclude that NEWS could contribute to disease surveillance in care homes during the COVID-19 pandemic. Oxygen saturation, respiratory rate and temperature could be prioritised as they appear to signal rise in mortality almost as well as total NEWS. This study reinforces the need to collate data from care homes, to monitor and protect residents’ health. Further work using individual level outcome data is needed to evaluate the role of NEWS in the early detection of resident illness.

Standardised early warning scores in rural interfacility transfers: A pilot study into their potential as a decision-making aid

2019 ◽  
Vol 24 (3) ◽  
pp. 83 ◽  
Author(s):  
Holly Buhler ◽  
Andrew Stanley ◽  
Brent Hobbs ◽  
Jude Kornelsen ◽  
Scott Lamont ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Pilot Study ◽  
Early Warning ◽  
Early Warning Scores

scholarly journals National early warning scores in care homes: do policy imperatives reflect a genuine need?

2019 ◽  
Vol 49 (1) ◽  
pp. 5-6 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sevim Hodge ◽  
Carl Thompson ◽  
Adam L Gordon
Keyword(s):  
Early Warning ◽  
Care Homes ◽  
Early Warning Scores

scholarly journals National Early Warning Scores and COVID-19 deaths in care homes: an ecological time-series study

BMJ Open ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (9) ◽  
pp. e045579
Author(s):  
Daniel Stow ◽  
Robert O Barker ◽  
Fiona E Matthews ◽  
Barbara Hanratty
Keyword(s):  
Time Series ◽  
Oxygen Saturation ◽  
Respiratory Rate ◽  
Early Warning ◽  
Cross Correlation ◽  
Local Authority ◽  
Care Home ◽  
Outcome Data ◽  
Care Homes ◽  
Early Warning Scores

ObjectivesTo investigate whether National Early Warning Scores (NEWS/NEWS2) could contribute to COVID-19 surveillance in care homes.Setting460 care home units using the same software package to collect data on residents, from 46 local authority areas in England.Participants6464 care home residents with at least one NEWS recording.Exposure measure29 656 anonymised person-level NEWS from 29 December 2019 to 20 May 2020 with component physiological measures: systolic blood pressure, respiratory rate, pulse rate, temperature and oxygen saturation. Baseline values for each measure calculated using 80th and 20th centile scores before March 2020.Outcome measureCross-correlation comparison of time series with Office for National Statistics weekly reported registered deaths of care home residents where COVID-19 was the underlying cause of death, and all other deaths (excluding COVID-19) up to 10 May 2020.ResultsDeaths due to COVID-19 were registered from 23 March 2020 in the local authority areas represented in the study. Between 23 March 2020 and 10 May 2020, there were 5753 deaths (1532 involving COVID-19 and 4221 other causes). We observed a rise in the proportion of above-baseline NEWS beginning 16 March 2020, followed 2 weeks later by an increase in registered deaths (cross-correlation of r=0.82, p<0.05 for a 2 week lag) in corresponding local authorities. The proportion of above-baseline oxygen saturation, respiratory rate and temperature measurements also increased approximately 2 weeks before peaks in deaths.ConclusionsNEWS could contribute to COVID-19 disease surveillance in care homes during the pandemic. Oxygen saturation, respiratory rate and temperature could be prioritised as they appear to signal rise in mortality almost as well as NEWS. This study reinforces the need to collate data from care homes, to monitor and protect residents’ health. Further work using individual level outcome data is needed to evaluate the role of NEWS in the early detection of resident illness.

scholarly journals National Early Warning Scores and COVID-19 deaths in care homes: a longitudinal ecological study

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel Stow ◽  
Robert O Barker ◽  
Fiona E Matthews ◽  
Barbara Hanratty
Keyword(s):  
Oxygen Saturation ◽  
Respiratory Rate ◽  
Early Warning ◽  
Disease Surveillance ◽  
Ecological Study ◽  
Care Home ◽  
Outcome Data ◽  
Care Homes ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
Early Warning Scores

AbstractObjectivesTo investigate whether patterns of National Early Warning Scores (NEWS/NEWS2) in care homes during the COVID pandemic correspond with area-level COVID-19 death registrations from care homes.Study designLongitudinal ecological study.Setting460 Care home units using the same software package to collect data on residents, from 46 local authority areas in England.Participants6,464 care home residents with at least one NEWS recording.Exposure measure29,656 anonymised person-level NEWS from 29/12/2019 to 20/05/2020 with component physiological measures: systolic blood pressure, respiratory rate, pulse rate, temperature, and oxygen saturation. Baseline values for each measure calculated using 80th and 20th centile scores before March 2020.Outcome measureTime series comparison with Office for National Statistics (ONS) weekly reported registered deaths of care home residents where COVID-19 was the underlying cause of death, and all other deaths (excluding COVID-19) up to 10/05/2020.ResultsDeaths due to COVID-19 were registered from 23/03/2020 in the study geographical areas. Between 23/03/2020 and 10/05/2020, there were 5,753 deaths (1,532 involving COVID-19 and 4,221 other causes). The proportion of above-baseline NEWS increased from 16/03/2020 and closely followed the rise and fall in COVID-19 deaths over the study period. The proportion of above-baseline oxygen saturation, respiratory rate and temperature measurements also increased approximately two weeks before peaks in care home deaths in corresponding geographical areas.ConclusionsNEWS may make a useful contribution to disease surveillance in care homes during the COVID-19 pandemic. Oxygen saturation, respiratory rate and temperature could be prioritised as they appear to signal rise in mortality almost as well as total NEWS. This study reinforces the need to collate data from care homes, to monitor and protect residents’ health. Further work using individual level outcome data is needed to evaluate the role of NEWS in the early detection of resident illness.

scholarly journals Experiences of a National Early Warning Score (NEWS) intervention in care homes during the COVID-19 pandemic: a qualitative interview study

BMJ Open ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (7) ◽  
pp. e045469
Author(s):  
Rachel Stocker ◽  
Siân Russell ◽  
Jennifer Liddle ◽  
Robert O Barker ◽  
Adam Remmer ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Early Warning ◽  
Healthcare Professionals ◽  
Care Home ◽  
Qualitative Interview ◽  
Interview Study ◽  
Care Homes ◽  
Early Warning Score ◽  
Service Utilisation ◽  
Qualitative Interview Study ◽  
National Early Warning Score

BackgroundThe COVID-19 pandemic has taken a heavy toll on the care home sector, with residents accounting for up to half of all deaths in Europe. The response to acute illness in care homes plays a particularly important role in the care of residents during a pandemic. Digital recording of a National Early Warning Score (NEWS), which involves the measurement of physical observations, started in care homes in one area of England in 2016. Implementation of a NEWS intervention (including equipment, training and support) was accelerated early in the pandemic, despite limited evidence for its use in the care home setting.ObjectivesTo understand how a NEWS intervention has been used in care homes in one area of North-East England during the COVID-19 pandemic, and how it has influenced resident care, from the perspective of stakeholders involved in care delivery and commissioning.MethodsA qualitative interview study with care home (n=10) and National Health Service (n=7) staff. Data were analysed using thematic analysis.ResultsUse of the NEWS intervention in care homes in this area accelerated during the COVID-19 pandemic. Stakeholders felt that NEWS, and its associated education and support package, improved the response of care homes and healthcare professionals to deterioration in residents’ health during the pandemic. Healthcare professionals valued the ability to remotely monitor resident observations, which facilitated triage and treatment decisions. Care home staff felt empowered by NEWS, providing a common clinical language to communicate concerns with external services, acting as an adjunct to staff intuition of resident deterioration.ConclusionsThe NEWS intervention formed an important part of the care home response to COVID-19 in the study area. Positive staff perceptions now need to be supplemented with data on the impact on resident health and well-being, workload, and service utilisation, during the pandemic and beyond.

scholarly journals Investigating the discriminative value of Early Warning Scores in patients with respiratory disease using a retrospective cohort analysis of admissions to Nottingham University Hospitals Trust over a 2-year period

BMJ Open ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (7) ◽  
pp. e020269 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarah Forster ◽  
Gemma Housley ◽  
Tricia M McKeever ◽  
Dominick E Shaw
Keyword(s):  
Respiratory Disease ◽  
Early Warning ◽  
Retrospective Cohort ◽  
Cohort Analysis ◽  
Scoring Systems ◽  
University Hospitals ◽  
Retrospective Cohort Analysis ◽  
Early Warning Scores ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Higher Sensitivity

ObjectiveEarly Warning Scores (EWSs) are used to monitor patients for signs of imminent deterioration. Although used in respiratory disease, EWSs have not been well studied in this population, despite the underlying cardiopulmonary pathophysiology often present. We examined the performance of two scoring systems in patients with respiratory disease.DesignRetrospective cohort analysis of vital signs observations of all patients admitted to a respiratory unit over a 2-year period. Scores were linked to outcome data to establish the performance of the National EWS (NEWS) compared results to a locally adapted EWS.SettingNottingham University Hospitals National Health Service Trust respiratory wards. Data were collected from an integrated electronic observation and task allocation system employing a local EWS, also generating mandatory referrals to clinical staff at set scoring thresholds.Outcome measuresProjected workload, and sensitivity and specificity of the scores in predicting mortality based on outcome within 24 hours of a score being recorded.Results8812 individual patient episodes occurred during the study period. Overall, mortality was 5.9%. Applying NEWS retrospectively (vs local EWS) generated an eightfold increase in mandatory escalations, but had higher sensitivity in predicting mortality at the protocol cut points.ConclusionsThis study highlights issues surrounding use of scoring systems in patients with respiratory disease. NEWS demonstrated higher sensitivity for predicting death within 24 hours, offset by reduced specificity. The consequent workload generated may compromise the ability of the clinical team to respond to patients needing immediate input. The locally adapted EWS has higher specificity but lower sensitivity. Statistical evaluation suggests this may lead to missed opportunities for intervention, however, this does not account for clinical concern independent of the scores, nor ability to respond to alerts based on workload. Further research into the role of warning scores and the impact of chronic pathophysiology is urgently needed.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document