Patients that have been hospitalized can be vulnerable and frail. In an increasingly complex hospital care system, 7.5% of all hospital patients experience an adverse event resulting in longer hospital stay, disability, or death. Hospital harm is defined as the number of hospitalizations with at least one unintended occurrence of harm that could have been prevented by implementing evidence-based practices. It is estimated that about 37% of these types of hospital harms can be prevented.
Advancements in ubiquitous technologies can have a significant positive impact on improving patient safety at the hospitals. In recent years, these technologies have been integrated with hospital beds (i.e. smart beds) to collect various data. Ghersi et al. investigated current research, standards, and market trends and found that (i) varied systems for fall and agitation detection around the bed can be valuable additions to smart medical beds; (ii) pressure distribution matrices over the bed surface can provide comprehensive analysis of patient position and may subsequently reduce pressure ulcers; (iii) the head-to-bed angle tracking has demonstrated significance in the prevention of secondary conditions associated with immobility; and (iv) integrated, non-invasive vital sign acquisition from the bed is a growing area of research.
A pioneer in medical technology, Hillrom specializes in patient diagnostics and recovery and has designed the Centrella Smart+ bed. The bed is equipped with a suite of sensors (pressure, monitor, etc.) and data pertaining to healthcare delivery and patient safety. The bed is currently in use in medical facilities such as the West Branch Regional Medical, where fall rates have decreased by 55%, and injury fall rates by 27%. This intervention has reduced the annual fall-related costs by 70% when prevention protocols are reinforced and the smart beds integrated with Hillrom Navicare system, SAFEVIEW® system, and fall prevention program.
The overall objective of our current partnership with Hillrom is to improve the capabilities of the Centrella Smart+ bed to increase patient safety by leveraging its current suite of sensors. We are investigating new potential ways to support clinical workflow and patient outcomes. With this in mind, we aim to (i) explore the scope of use and limitations of the suite of sensors; (ii) integrate machine learning technologies to predict occurrence of potential harms to minimize their impact or avoid them altogether; (iii) explore expansion of the technology to support the patient out of bed; (iv) explore new sensors (e.g. thermal cameras and radar) to complement/extend the system's capabilities and enable remote patient sensing; and (v) design effective data visualizations for fall prediction and communication on devices such as smartphones and smartwatches.
Last updated: April 01, 2021