A hospital is considering introducing a... | Information and Communication Technology (9-1) 0983 | Paper 1 Mock 21 | Theory

Question 1 Report

A hospital is considering introducing a computer-based patient monitoring system.

Feature	Computer monitoring	Manual monitoring by nurse
Frequency of readings	Continuous (every second)	Periodic (every 30-60 minutes)
Alerting	Automatic alarm when readings exceed limits	Nurse notices at next check
Record keeping	Automatic digital log	Written on paper charts

(a) Explain two advantages of computer monitoring over manual monitoring, using the table to support your answer. [4]

(b) Explain two reasons why nurses are still needed even when computer monitoring is in place. [2]

Answer

Answer Details

(a) Two advantages of computer monitoring over manual monitoring:

Computer monitoring takes readings every second (as the table shows), so a sudden dangerous change in a patient's condition is detected immediately. A nurse checking every 30 to 60 minutes could miss a critical change between visits, potentially delaying life-saving intervention. [2]
Automatic digital logging creates a complete and accurate record of all readings over time. This is easier to analyse, search and share with other medical staff than handwritten paper charts, which are more prone to errors and harder to read. [2]

(b) Two reasons why nurses are still needed with computer monitoring:

Nurses can assess aspects of a patient's condition that sensors cannot measure, such as the patient's level of pain, emotional state, skin colour or ability to communicate. [1]
Nurses can respond immediately to an alarm by providing physical care such as administering medication, repositioning the patient or calling a doctor, which the monitoring system itself cannot do. [1]

A hospital is considering introducing a computer-based patient monitoring system. Feature Computer monitoring Manual monitoring by nurse Frequency of readin...