Is NEWS2 the optimal evidence-based surveillance tool for all respiratory patients or does it just represent the beginning of an iterative development process?
Medical practice is built on the foundations of evidence-based medicine. Hence, the more common the clinical intervention, the more comprehensive the evidence on which that intervention should be based. Although the widespread adoption of a national early warning score in the UK has led to improvements in the delivery of care, it should be considered as providing a foundation that can be refined and developed, and there is still a need for critical reflection and evaluation of early warning scores, particularly for individuals with chronic respiratory disease, in order to optimise patient monitoring, predict deterioration and guide intervention.
