in-hospital monitoring

In traditional hospital workflows, patients on general wards and those transitioning from the ICU to general wards are typically monitored through a combination of periodic spot checks and clinical observations. In general nurses manually measure vital signs, usually conducted 3 to 6 times a day, every 8 - 4 hours. This approach has limitations, as it relies among others on the timing of checks and staff availability, which can lead to gaps in monitoring, especially between checks.

Spot check monitoring presents several challenges:

• Gaps in vital sign monitoring
  The shift from continuous monitoring in ICU, high care units and operating rooms to intermittent monitoring on general wards increases the risk of unnoticed clinical deterioration, potentially delaying crucial interventions. Without continuous monitoring, complications may not be detected in a timely manner, potentially delaying crucial interventions. Late detection can lead to worsened patient conditions, extended recovery times, or even permanent damag
  
  
• Conducting spot checks is time-consuming
  Spot checks can take up to fifteen minutes per patient per day. With multiple patients assigned to each healthcare professional, this adds significant stress and reduces the ability to deliver timely care.
  
  
• Inconsistent data
  Spot checks provide snapshots rather than continuous data, which can lead to inconsistent monitoring and gaps in patient information, potentially affecting the accuracy of care decisions.

• Patient disturbance
  Regular manual checks can disturb patients' rest, particularly at night, which can negatively impact recovery and comfort.
  
  
• Limited resources
  Staff shortages and high patient volumes can make it difficult to perform timely spot checks for all patients, potentially delaying interventions when needed.
  
  

Advanced general ward monitoring

To address these challenges, hospitals are increasingly adopting automated or continuous monitoring systems, which provide real-time data and reduce the reliance on intermittent checks. These systems allow for earlier detection of patient deterioration and more timely interventions. 

smartQare introduces advanced and innovative solutions for patient monitoring in general wards, providing automated, continuous patient monitoring. By analyzing vital sign trends, healthcare professionals can predict the risk of clinical deterioration and intervene promptly. Additionally, notifications will pop up once certain vital sign thresholds are exceeded, notifying healthcare professionals when intervention is needed.

viQtor is a wearable solution developed by smartQare, designed to continuously measure vital signs such as heart rate, respiratory rate, and oxygen saturation using Photoplethysmography (PPG) technology. Ideal for in-hospital monitoring, viQtor is worn on the patient’s upper arm, where it continuously captures and processes vital data. The continuous Early Warning Score (cEWS) is calculated automatically, based on three vital signs, providing a comprehensive view of the patient’s condition.

Healthdot is a lightweight, wearable biosensor affixed to the patient’s chest, continuously monitoring vital signs—specifically heart rate and respiratory rate. It calculates a reduced Early Warning Score (rEWS) with minimal vital measurements, making it effective for general ward monitoring and facilitating early patient discharge during critical recovery periods, enabling a confident transition from hospital care.

SmartQare's solutions offer the following benefits in the general ward monitoring:

• Trend Monitoring: viQtor and Healthdot continuously capture and analyze vital signs, providing healthcare teams with crucial trend data. This enables early detection of potential complications, ensuring timely interventions to avoid patient's health deteriorating further/leading to permanent damage/slower recovery, etc..
  
  
• Reduced ICU (re)admissions: Continuous patient monitoring allows healthcare providers to identify early signs of deterioration. It helps reduce the risk of ICU (re)admissions by enabling prompt clinical responses to emerging complications.
  
  
• Reduce workload for nurses: By automating the collection and reporting of vital signs, viQtor and healthdot significantly reduce the need for manual spot checks. This not only saves time, but also reduces the risk of human error, allowing nurses to focus on delivering direct patient care.