RTLS Technology Study

NCT04114110 | Completed

• 1 other identifier: 2019SUR107
• Study Type: observational
• Target: 2,000
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

This study will examine the productivity of the hospital workforce utilizing a unique dataset that is stored at the Royal Wolverhampton Trust (RWT). The data is recorded by a Real Time Location System (RTLS) that tracks the second-by-second physical location of patients, staff, and medical equipment. Using this data, the plan is to measure the amount of time that clinical staff spend with patients and with other clinical staff, and then explore how these measures of contact time influence patient health outcomes. The data will also be used to measure the location and movement of patients during their hospital stay, and test the impact of moving patients between wards on their health outcomes. In light of the recent COVID-19 outbreak, impact of COVID19 on patient contact time, patient outcomes and professional working practices will also be examined.

Conditions

Inpatients; Staff

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (5)

• Number of in-hospital deaths (RWT specific)

  in-hospital mortality figures

  30 days

• Number of readmissions (RWT specific)

  readmission figures

  30 days

• Length of stay

  total amount of time in hospital

  3 years

• Nurse sensitive indicators

  Number of Falls, medication errors, pressure ulcers and Urinary Tract Infections

  3 years

• Number of Adverse incidents affecting patient care

  Number and description of Adverse incidents affecting patient care as recorded by the Datix information system (e.g. falls, medication errors)

  3 years

Study Arms (2)

Admitted inpatients

no intervention

Other: RTLS data

Staff with RTLS badges

no intervention

Other: RTLS data

Interventions

RTLS data OTHER

data extraction from RTLS

Admitted inpatients; Staff with RTLS badges

Eligibility Criteria

• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: No
• Age Groups: Child (0-17), Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)
• Sampling Method: Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

All admitted inpatients between 1 April 2016 and 31 March 2019, and all staff members with RTLS badges, at The Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust (RWT), Wolverhampton.

You may qualify if:

• Patients admitted to inpatient departments at RWT and are present at RWT during the period of 1 April 2016 to 31 March 2019 inclusive.

You may not qualify if:

• Patients admitted to outpatient wards at RWT;
• Patients that were not admitted at or discharged from RWT between 1 April 2016 to 31 March 2019 inclusive.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• La Trobe University: collaborator
• The Royal Wolverhampton Hospitals NHS Trust: lead
• Cornell University: collaborator

Study Sites (1)

The Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust

Wolverhampton, West Midlands, WV10 0QP, United Kingdom

Location

Related Publications (1)

• Cannaby AM, Carter V, Hoe T, Strobel S, Tafti EA, Baker R, Nash C, Whatley V, Gray R. The feasibility and validity of using a real time location system (RTLS) to measure bedside contact time. J Res Nurs. 2022 Aug;27(5):421-433. doi: 10.1177/17449871211016169. Epub 2021 Nov 15.

  PMID: 36131691 BACKGROUND

Study Design

• Study Type: observational
• Observational Model: OTHER
• Time Perspective: RETROSPECTIVE
• Sponsor Type: OTHER GOV
• Responsible Party: SPONSOR

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: October 1, 2019
• First Posted: October 3, 2019
• Study Start: January 6, 2020
• Primary Completion: November 15, 2021
• Study Completion: November 15, 2021
• Last Updated: March 9, 2026

Record last verified: 2026-03

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

GB (1)