Sentara Healthcare, based in Norfolk, Va., announced plans Feb. 2 to deploy more than 100 cameras to assist its healthcare professionals in monitoring high-risk patients, the Daily Press reported.
The cameras will be distributed across the health system's 12 hospital locations and are set to be fully operational by mid-February.
As staffing shortages continue to affect hospitals nationwide, Sentara's move is also aimed at alleviating some pressures on its staff, since there are not always enough hands to have someone monitoring a patient closely for hours, Charlene Bridges, director of system resource allocation for Sentara, told the Daily Press.
The move comes after a pilot program, led by Bridges, launched in 2018 to collect data in an effort to inform the health system of how best to establish policy and procedures around the new technology.
Once the cameras roll out, staff are able to follow an assessment procedure to help decide which patients will benefit most from the mobile, high-definition cameras, which can be moved from room to room on wheels. The technology is designed to aid them in monitoring fall risk, pulling out IV lines and other issues that may require immediate medical intervention, such as choking.
Donna Wilmoth, MSN, RN, chief nursing officer at Sentara Williamsburg Regional Medical Center, said in a statement sent to the Daily Press that the pilot showed early signs of success and moving ahead to the full launch will benefit care. However, she also stressed that the cameras are by no means a replacement for the care staff will continue to provide.