New early-warning tools and technologies have emerged in recent years to help hospitals monitor patients for subtle but dangerous signs of a worsening condition, according to The Wall Street Journal.
Complications such as depressed breathing rate, adverse reactions to narcotic pain medications and other issues can signal decompensation in patients and can rapidly become fatal if not monitored closely by nurses, physicians or hospital staff.
Highlighted below are three early-warning tools and technologies used by hospitals, as outlined by WSJ.
1. Under mattress sensors. Wireless monitors that slip under the patient's mattress can alert nurses and hospital staff to changes in breathing and heart rate as well as when patients leave the bed or need to be turned. These devices have been associated with shorter hospital stays and fewer events in which patients needed resuscitation or emergency medical attention in previous studies.
2. Finger sensors. Finger sensors that measure oxygen levels in the blood, as well as equipment that measures ventilation through patient's exhaled breath, can help avoid narcotic-related adverse drug events, including patient deaths. Last year, CMS called for postoperative monitoring of patients on IV narcotics and said staff should educate patients and families to alert them if they notice any breathing problems.
3. Rothman Index. This software — which costs about $150,000 for a 300-bed hospital — uses information from 26 variables in EMRs to calculate a score from 1 to 100 that indicates the need for closer monitoring or immediate help. Currently, UPMC's children's hospital in Pittsburgh is working on rolling out a pediatric version of the Rothman Index.
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