Abstract: When monitoring patients in a general ward, clinical decision support risk scores are evaluated to determine whether a patient should be monitored using a spot check method whereby a caregiver periodically checks the patient, a continuous monitoring method whereby the patient is monitored by a monitoring device such as an electrocardiograph, or whether the patient requires transfer to a progressive care unit (PCU) or intensive care unit (ICU). When the number of patient monitors is not sufficient to assign a monitor to all patients for whom a monitor is desired, CDS score thresholds are adjusted to ensure that the neediest patients are assigned monitors.