Technical article: Overview of hospital-based data capture systems that acquire continuous ECG and physiologic data.

Data capture systems that acquire continuous hospital-based electrocardiographic (ECG) and physiologic (vital signs) data can foster robust research (i.e., large sample sizes from consecutive patients). However, the application of these systems and the data generated are complex and requires careful human oversight to ensure that accurate and high quality data are procured. This technical article will describe two different data capture systems created by our research group designed to examine false alarms associated with alarm fatigue in nurses. The following aspects regarding these data capture systems will be discussed: (1) history of development; (2) summary of advantages, challenges, and important considerations; (3) their use in research; (4) their use in clinical care; and (5) future developments.