Beyond Monitoring: Wearable Technology as a Tool for Early Recognition of Clinical Deterioration in Emergency Care

Abstract

Emergency units deal with major challenges like too many patients, not enough healthcare workers, and a high chance of missing signs of worsening health. Using traditional methods to check vital signs only at certain times can miss important changes, which is why a new, tech-based solution is needed. This article looks at the latest research on how wearable technology can help detect when a patient's condition is getting worse early on in emergency care. The study used a literature review approach, searching through databases like PubMed, EBSCO, ProQuest, Google Scholar, and MDPI. The search used the terms "wearable technology," "emergency care," "clinical deterioration," and "vital signs monitoring." Out of 44 articles found between 2017 and 2025, 10 were chosen based on full-text review and how closely they matched the topic. The research shows that wearable devices can monitor important body functions like heart rate, breathing rate, oxygen levels, temperature, and blood pressure in real time. These devices can give early warnings about a patient's condition worsening and help make better, data-based decisions in care. The devices are also portable, comfortable, and easy to use, and they don't stop patients from moving around. Using wearables has been linked to better patient safety because they help act faster, reduce the risk of not saving a patient, and may lower death rates. However, some issues remain, such as the accuracy of certain sensors, problems combining the technology with existing systems, and how well healthcare workers accept using these devices. Overall, wearable technology shows a lot of promise in helping emergency nursing by catching early signs of health problems and improving patient safety, but more clinical testing and better integration with existing systems are still needed.