Patient Chart: Vital Signs

The following topics are discussed on this page. Use the links to jump to the desired subject:

Introduction to Vital Signs

To view erroneous entries

To add vital signs

To view the growth chart

To graph vital signs

Setup considerations: Usage of the Vitals page requires setup in additional locations. Click here to view a list >> [+]

Introduction to Vital Signs

The Vital Signs page displays vital sign values in a table format. The column names indicate the value that is displayed there, along with the date and time. Abnormal values are colored in red text. For each set of vital signs, you can make edits and/or view additional details, including edits made to the values using the buttons described below:

To view erroneous entries

When entries are marked as erroneous, they do not display in the default view on the Vital Signs page. To include these erroneous entries in the view, check the Include Erroneous check box. Erroneous entries are marked with a symbol, , in the left-most column.

To filter entries

Since the default view is for the current visit, use the View field to select other options: Recent Visits, Date Range, or All Visits. If you select Selected Visit or Date Range, use the Start Date and End Date fields to specify the time period to view. If you select Recent Visits, enter the number of visits in the next field. Then, select the types of visits to display in the third field.

To save your filter settings, go to Actions > Save Filter Settings. This saves the current settings as a default for future visits to the page. Note: This feature is controlled in User Administration by the Hospital - Patient Chart - Save Filter Settings security item.

To add vital signs

1. From the Vital Signs page, click Add Vitals. The Add Vitals box is displayed.

2. The Charted Date and Time default to the current date and time. Modify these fields, if necessary by using the calendar and clock buttons.

3. The Measurement Source field displays the source of the vital sign data. If being entered manually, the logged in user name is displayed.

4. Enter the values in the appropriate fields. To use an alternate pain scale, you can use the FLACC Scale or Wong Baker Scale by clicking the appropriate option.

Use Metric or English measurements by entering the value in the appropriately named field, i.e., in or cm, lb or kg, F or C.

Setup for the options listed in the Oxygen Device field is maintained in CD > Master Files > Patient Chart > Vitals > Descriptors.

4. In the Height and Weight section, if you cannot collect the patient's height/length and/or weight values, check the Could not Measure Height/Length, Weight or Both box. If this box is checked, the Reason field is enabled. Use this field to select a reason why the height/length, weight or both could not be measured. This field is not required.  (Note: SNOMED codes are displayed in parentheses next to the reason description.)

5. In the Head Circumference fields (if applicable), enter the measurement in inches or centimeters.

6. Click Save and Close to return to the Vital Signs page; or, click Save and Add More to enter additional vital sign values.

Interfacing to vitals monitoring devices

If your facility is interfaced with the Accelero Connect Vitals Monitoring tool, a Retrieve Vitals button is displayed on the Vitals page. Click this button to launch the Accelero Connect URL. Once you have selected the data in Accelero and finished in the Accelero Connect window, close the window and refresh the Vitals page to view the interfaced vital sign results. Setup is required in Maintenance > General > Medical Device Interface. Setup is required to activate and utilize this functionality at your facility. Contact your Healthland representative for more information about using this functionality.

To view the growth chart

The Growth Chart displays the patient height/length, weight, BMI, and head circumference values on a graph according to CDC statistics for the age and gender population. The Growth Chart button is displayed when the patient age is between 0 and 20 years (and height and weight values have been entered).

1. Click Growth Chart. The Growth Chart window is displayed.

2. The Chart Type defaults to display height/length values and ranges on the graph. Select the Weight, BMI, or Head Circ options to display these alternate graphs. The patient's values are displayed using the black line. See the legend on the chart to view other percentile ranges.

3. Click Print to print the Growth Chart. Or, click Close to return to the Vital Signs page.

To graph vital signs

Multiple vital sign values can be graphed for an alternate view of the values.

1. Check the box next to the column name (i.e., Blood Pressure, Temperature, etc.)  for the measures you wish to graph.

2. Click Graph Selected. Individual graphs are displayed for each measure. The date, time, and value for each point displayed on the graph are displayed to the right of the graph.

NOTE: Erroneous entries are not included in the graph, even when the Include Erroneous box is checked for the columnar view.

To print vital signs

To print the vital signs, click the Print button. The Print dialog box is displayed. Select the desired printer, then click the Print button.

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