Uploaded July 2014 | Updated September 2026, 1 hour ago
The SEND project uses the latest computer tablet technology to record and evaluate patients' vital signs, replacing traditional paper charts. It will help alert medical staff to early patient deterioration quickly and reliably, and allow that data to be shared with specialists across the hospital sites.
Medical staff will take regular readings of a patient's vital signs such as heart rate and blood pressure according to current practice, but instead of writing the information on an observation chart, they will input it into a computer tablet. Using specially developed software, an Early Warning Score will be calculated and displayed instantly. Clinical staff will use this score to help them decide whether further medical intervention is needed.
The SEND project is supported by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Oxford Biomedical Research Centre, a collaboration between Oxford University Hospitals and Oxford University to translate basic science into patient-benefit and foster innovation. The Research Council UK's Digital Economy Programme, which is led by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), funded the team's research underpinning the system.
If you would like to know more about the work of Oxford University Hospitals NHS Trust please visit ouh.nhs.uk
This video was produced by Oxford Medical Illustration an NHS department within the Trust, if you would like to find out more about OMI please visit oxfordmi.nhs.uk
The SEND project uses the latest computer tablet technology to record and evaluate patients' vital signs, replacing traditional paper charts. It will help alert medical staff to early patient deterioration quickly and reliably, and allow that data to be shared with specialists across the hospital sites.
Medical staff will take regular readings of a patient's vital signs such as heart rate and blood pressure according to current practice, but instead of writing the information on an observation chart, they will input it into a computer tablet. Using specially developed software, an Early Warning Score will be calculated and displayed instantly. Clinical staff will use this score to help them decide whether further medical intervention is needed.
The SEND project is supported by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Oxford Biomedical Research Centre, a collaboration between Oxford University Hospitals and Oxford University to translate basic science into patient-benefit and foster innovation. The Research Council UK's Digital Economy Programme, which is led by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), funded the team's research underpinning the system.
If you would like to know more about the work of Oxford University Hospitals NHS Trust please visit ouh.nhs.uk
This video was produced by Oxford Medical Illustration an NHS department within the Trust, if you would like to find out more about OMI please visit oxfordmi.nhs.uk
