Continuous Wireless Vital Sign Sensors for Detecting Severe Deviations at a Transitional Care Facility—An Observational Feasibility Study

After hospital admissions, patients may be discharged to a transitional care facility if they are considered physically or mentally unable to be at home. This study aimed to assess the feasibility of continuous wearable vital sign monitoring (CVSM) at a low-staffed transitional care facility. This was a feasibility study exploring CVSM (blinded for staff) for up to 96 h in 20 patients discharged to a transitional care facility. Feasibility was assessed by monitoring duration. Secondarily, deviating vital sign values from both CVSM and manual vital sign monitoring were described. Twenty patients were continuously monitored for 1565 h in total. The median duration of monitoring with at least one device was 80 h (IQR 50-93), equivalent to 83% of the monitored period. The median cumulative duration of abnormal vital signs was 620 min [IQR 336 min-930 min]. The transitional care facility staff did not assess vital signs in any patients during the monitored period. Forty percent of patients developed at least one medical complication and were readmitted to the hospital.