npj Health Systems· 2026Q2
Delayed EHR availability of vital signs is associated with nursing shift structure
- 0citations
- Q2SCImago
- 2026year
Short summary
Vital signs from 11.4 million measurements were delayed in EHRs, with median lags of 12-25 minutes, and one-third of abnormal values delayed over an hour, peaking around nursing shift changes.
AI-generated from the title and abstract; the full text is not read.
Key points
- Median lag for vital sign validation in EHRs ranged from 12 to 25 minutes across different locations.
- One-third of abnormal vital sign values experienced delays exceeding one hour.
- Delays in vital sign availability peaked before nursing shift changes.
- Findings suggest nursing workflow, not technical issues, is the primary barrier to real-time patient monitoring.
AI-generated from the title and abstract; the full text is not read.
Abstract
Delayed EHR availability of vital signs may jeopardize patient safety and data integrity. In 11.4 million measurements from 26,479 encounters, median measurement-to-validation lag ranged 12-25 minutes across locations; one-third of abnormal values were delayed over an hour. Lag peaked before nursing shift changes, including in settings with device-EHR integration. These findings implicate workforce-driven workflow, rather than technical failure, as a primary barrier to real-time surveillance and health system responsiveness.
The authors' abstract, as published at the source. npj Health Systems, 2026 · DOI ↗
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Field: Health Information Management
Health Information ManagementHealth Professions