The use of an electronic physiological surveillance system (EPSS) at two hospitals in the United Kingdom was linked to a drop in mortality rates of more than 15 percent in a year, according to an article on the Fierce Healthcare website.

Research published by BMJ Quality & Safety examined the use of EPSS software, which streamlined the process of recording patient vital signs, at Queen Alexandra Hospital, Portsmouth, and University Hospital, Coventry.

The former hospital experienced 397 fewer deaths over the course of a year, while the latter recorded 372 fewer patient deaths.

"At both hospitals, multiyear statistical process control analyses revealed abrupt and sustained mortality reductions, coincident with the deployment and increasing use of the system," the study said.

The EPSS software now is installed at 40 hospitals throughout the UK, with plans for a nationwide deployment.

Read the article.