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NCT Number: NCT04114110

RTLS Technology Study

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.

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Key information

Conditions

Inpatients Staff

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Observational

Primary location

The Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust

Wolverhampton, West Midlands, WV10 0QP, United Kingdom

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: No

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

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

Exclusion criteria

  • 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.

Treatment and study plan

RTLS data

Other

data extraction from RTLS

Primary outcomes

  1. Number of in-hospital deaths (RWT specific)

    Time frame: 30 days

    in-hospital mortality figures

  2. Number of readmissions (RWT specific)

    Time frame: 30 days

    readmission figures

  3. Length of stay

    Time frame: 3 years

    total amount of time in hospital

  4. Nurse sensitive indicators

    Time frame: 3 years

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

  5. Number of Adverse incidents affecting patient care

    Time frame: 3 years

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

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

The Royal Wolverhampton Hospitals NHS Trust

Other Gov

Collaborators

  • Cornell University
  • La Trobe University

Registry information

Official study title

A Retrospective, Observational Analysis Using Real Time Location Systems (RTLS) Technology to Explore the Effects of Clinical Staffing on Hospital Productivity and Patient Health Outcomes

Important dates

Study start
2020
Primary completion
2021
Study completion
2021
First posted
Oct 3, 2019
Registry last updated
Mar 9, 2026

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

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