Leaf Healthcare, maker of innovative patient monitoring technology, today announced the availability of an enhanced wireless patient sensor that enables nurses at the point of care to confirm the patient turn they just completed adequately protects against pressure injuries.
The new sensor supplements the Leaf System’s wireless monitoring functionality with onboard indicator lights so that caregivers can see a patient’s status without relying on monitors that are typically located at nursing stations. When a caregiver gently taps the sensor twice, indicator lights momentarily flash to provide real-time turn status. The lights warn nurses when patients require turning and when they are overdue for a turn.
“Leaf’s new sensor increases patient safety and enhances nursing productivity by conveniently providing important information at the point of care, saving nurses the time and steps required to check nursing station monitors,” said Barrett Larson, MD, CEO of Leaf Healthcare. “The sensor’s onboard display provides a bedside notification whenever a patient needs to be turned and immediate visual confirmation that a patient has been turned with sufficient frequency and quality.”
An anonymous survey of nurses who have used the pointof-care sensor found that more than 83 per cent feel the sensor is “very easy,” or “easy” to use. One nurse volunteered that “One family saw me light it up and thought it was cool. I absolutely love it. Very easy to use and saves us time.”
The Leaf Patient Monitoring System has been used to track the mobility of more than 20,000 patients for more than 1.8 million hours and was recently shown in a large randomised trial to reduce the number of hospital-acquired pressure ulcers (HAPUs) by up to 74 per cent.
The Leaf System, the first FDA-cleared medical technology that continuously monitors patient activity and position to identify those who could benefit from repositioning, has been deployed in healthcare facilities across the United States since 2014.
The federal Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) has determined that pressure injuries are the fastest-growing hospital-acquired condition (HAC) in the country. A new report by the agency shows that, while the number of HACs has declined by 8 per cent overall, the number of pressure injuries has risen by 10 per cent. HAPUs affect more than 700,000 patients a year and add more than $10 billion to annual U.S. healthcare costs.
The innovative Leaf System tracks patient movement and activity in bed-bound, chair-bound, and ambulatory patients. Studies have shown it improves patient turning and mobility, reduces pressure injury rates, helps nurses prioritise patient care, improves unit workflow, and saves hospitals non-reimbursed costs associated with the treatment of pressure injuries, as well as rental bed costs.
