Virtual wards

What were we asked to look at?

We have been asked to evaluate the clinical effectiveness, cost effectiveness, safety, and patient experience associated with the use of virtual ward platform technologies to manage patients who would traditionally require inpatient monitoring, either to support transition to the home setting or to avoid hospital admission

Why is this important?

Virtual ward technologies enable hospital-level monitoring at home, potentially improving patient comfort, reducing infection risk and supporting faster recovery. System-wide, they may ease bed pressures, reduce costs and offer scalable solutions to meet demand. While local trials have taken place within NHSScotland, a robust assessment of the evidence is needed to inform future decisions about this model of care.