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To 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.
Scoping review.
Joanna Briggs Institute methodology reported using PRISMA-ScR guidelines.
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.
Sixty-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.
Wearable 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.
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.
None.
Hospital falls and associated injuries are a global issue associated with harm and significant costs to individuals and society, especially for older adults. Hospital standards specify the minimum level of care required to optimise patient safety, quality and outcomes. Standards are often used during hospital accreditation. This investigation analysed the content and quality of hospital falls standards across the globe.
Hospital standards were located by searching online databases (PubMed, CINAHL, Google Scholar, MEDLINE), ChatGPT, the grey literature via internet search engines, and websites of accreditation agencies, government agencies, and other relevant organisations. We searched for standards from the 60 largest countries by population plus the 60 countries with the highest gross domestic product (n = 82 after accounting for duplicates). For inclusion, hospital standards had to mention ‘fall/s’. Data were analysed using a deductive framework synthesis and content analysis to identify emergent themes.
Forty-one standards used by at least 72 countries were identified from our search. Sixteen were excluded from detailed analysis because they did not mention falls and 3 could not be retrieved. A total of 22 standards were included in the final detailed analysis. Included standards showed wide variations in content and quality. Seven were assessed as high quality, 12 medium quality, and 3 were deemed to be of low quality. Some lacked details on hospital falls screening, assessment, prevention, and management. Consumer engagement in development, implementation, or evaluation was not mentioned in all standards. Procedures for falls data collection and reporting were seldom documented. Hospital standards infrequently referred readers to contemporary research or clinical practice guidelines.
There are variations in the quality and content of standards on hospital falls. International collaboration is recommended to increase the consistency and validity of hospital falls standards across nations, in order to optimise healthcare outcomes.
The findings of this global analysis of hospital falls standards have the potential to impact falls rates and fall-related injuries in hospital patients by providing data to inform the content, evidence base and use of hospital standards to optimise the safety and quality of care delivery. The findings inform the review, design and implementation of hospital accreditation procedures to improve patient outcomes, patient experiences, and service quality.
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