Prospective Validation of a Real-time Early Warning System for Monitoring Inpatient Mortality Risk Using Electronic Medical Record Data (Preprint)

Background The rapid deterioration observed in the condition of some hospitalized patients can be attributed to either disease progression or imperfect triage and level of care assignment after their admission. An early warning system (EWS) to identify patients at high risk of subsequent intrahospital death can be an effective tool for ensuring patient safety and quality of care and reducing avoidable harm and costs.