PLEASANTON, CA -- Leaf Healthcare releases white paper on a novel wireless, wearable patient monitor that facilitates the consistent and timely completion of routine preventive actions in the health care environment.
"The patient care environment is often unpredictable and fraught with distractions. Nurses are constantly prioritizing patient needs and dynamically responding to changing clinical conditions. The high-acuity nature of the hospital environment can sometimes result in the interruption of sub-acute tasks. Routine patient turning, which is considered the most effective way to prevent hospital-acquired pressure ulcers, is one sub-acute task that is often interrupted or neglected," said Barrett Larson, MD, Chief Medical Officer of Leaf Healthcare.
Recently released guidelines from the National Pressure Ulcer Advisory Panel (NPUAP) recommend repositioning all patients at risk of pressure ulcers, unless medically contraindicated.
Facility-acquired pressure ulcers pose a major burden to our healthcare system. Research by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality shows that pressure ulcers cost the nation's healthcare system more than $11 billion a year. Given that pressure ulcers are considered preventable, these treatment costs are not reimbursable. In addition to the high costs, pressure ulcers are a source of significant morbidity and mortality for patients.
The Leaf Patient Monitoring System, which is wireless and wearable, provides caregivers with information regarding a patient's position over time, thus enabling them to easily identify which patients are turning adequately on their own and which patients are in need of a caregiver-assisted turn. In such a manner, the system allows caregivers to focus their attention on those who need it most, while at the same time ensuring that no patient is neglected. Furthermore, the Leaf Patient Monitoring System can intelligently optimize and coordinate turning schedules for a large group of patients and help prioritize patient turning needs.
"The Leaf Patient Monitoring System has been shown in hospitals across the country to improve both system efficiency and patient care by monitoring and coordinating patient turning efforts," said Dr. Larson.
One example is Chino Valley Medical Center, where a recent clinical trial showed that the Leaf System increased compliance with patient turning protocols. "Our experience with the Leaf Patient Monitoring System showed that it offers a breakthrough in patient care and safety," said Dr. James Lally, Chief Medical Officer of Chino Valley Medical Center. "The vigilance of our staff in regard to prevention methods has enabled Chino Valley to substantially reduce the incidence of reportable pressure ulcers at our facility. The Leaf Patient Monitor will help us to maintain a pressure ulcer-free performance goal while significantly improving staff productivity by allowing clinicians to focus on those patients requiring turn assistance."
The Leaf system is comprised of a small, lightweight, wearable sensor that electronically monitors a patient's position and movements. Data collected by the sensor is communicated wirelessly to central monitoring stations or mobile devices so that caregivers can easily monitor patient position and movement. The system provides alerts when necessary to ensure that all patients wearing a Leaf Sensor are repositioned according to their prescribed turning schedules in order to prevent pressure ulcers. The Leaf Patient Monitoring System has been cleared for sale by FDA.
For the Seven Steps to Reduce Pressure Ulcers, see http://bit.ly/1ecLMGP
For more info, visit http://www.leafhealthcare.com