Enhancing Patient Safety and Clinical Efficiency Through Vital Sign Standardization

This quality improvement (QI) project targets standardizing vital sign order sets to enhance patient safety and clinical staff efficiency in a hospital setting. Given the challenges of ambiguous orders for new or rotating staff, a systematic approach to developing clear, direct vital sign orders is imperative for improving care quality and minimizing errors. Methods: Employing Continuous Quality Improvement principles and the Plan-Do-Study-Act cycle, the project involves reviewing and revising existing vital sign order sets, engaging with stakeholders for consensus, and outlining plans for integration into the electronic health record system. Initial steps include stakeholder meetings, draft order set development, and strategy planning for implementation and evaluation. Results: While full implementation is pending, preliminary efforts have laid a foundation for anticipated improvements in workflow efficiency and patient monitoring accuracy. Stakeholder feedback has informed the revision of order sets, highlighting the project's collaborative approach and potential for significant clinical impact. Conclusions: The project underscores the value of standardized order sets in streamlining clinical processes and enhancing patient safety. Although the project is ongoing, the groundwork established offers promising prospects for improving healthcare delivery through evidence-based standardization. Future research will evaluate the intervention's effectiveness in practice, focusing on scalability and sustainability.