Reflections on the Implementation of Wearable Vital Signs Monitors in a Vietnamese ICU

Abstract

Abstract The number of patients in need of critical care increased sharply in Vietnam during the COVID-19 pandemic putting increased pressure on the Hospital for Tropical Diseases, which was designated as a centre for treatment. In order to meet the new demand for critical care, the hospital introduced a prototype wearable system to monitor the vital signs of COVID patients. We describe how the introduction of the wearables was supported by a group of implementation scientists using an action learning approach. The support of a dedicated implementation team facilitated the implementation process and enabled significant advances in a limited time. We found that while the devices addressed a significant demand for remote monitoring, they also created new types of work. The burden of this work was not shared equally and significant thought was needed to find ways of optimising the use of the system, leading to altered workflows and staff training. We conclude that with the right support and planning however, well designed wearables offer promising opportunities for managing critically ill patients.