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A “Thinking” Bed that Will Alert Nurses to Fall Risk Patients

Tuesday, 13 July 2010

Sujata Rajaram, BSN, MSN
Department of Geriatrics- Ward 3/ Geriatric Medicine, Alexandra Hospital, Singapore, Singapore

Learning Objective 1: Better safety awareness culture

Learning Objective 2: Enhanced hospital image

Purpose: In 2006, it was reported that 57% of falls in Alexandra Hospital involved patients who are above the age of 65 and 68% fell at the bedside. At the Geriatric Ward, it is noted that incidences of falls occur when patients attempt to get out of bed without assistance. These patients are usually in a delirious, demented state. They have poor safety awareness and attempt to squeeze through the gap between the bedrails and foot of bed.

The nurses, doctors from the Geriatric Ward approached the Electrical Engineering Division of Ngee Ann Polytechnic to design movement alarms for patient at risk for falls
A technological device to alert the nurses when patients are trying to get out of bed so as to reduce fall rates among patients classified as “Fall Precaution”

Methods:

The prototype was created by students and staff at Ngee Ann Polytechnic, in 2006 based on their observations of patient’s behavior in the ward, inputs and feedback from doctors and nurses. The prototype was conducted in two wards before it was refined by Plentium Care to support a larger number of beds in a ward

Billed as the Smart Bed, this made in Singapore design works on a system of sensors that alert nurses to patients who are trying to get out of bed.  Beds   with sensors, predict when the patients are preparing to get out of bed
These sensors are linked to the Monitoring and Alert System at the nurses’ station, which generates three types of alerts: a buzzer and light at the nurses’ station, a blue light along the corridor and SMSes to the nurses’ mobile phones.

Results:

1. Better safety awareness culture
2. Enhanced hospital image
3. Excellent cooperation
4. Semi automation
5. Better utilization of resources

Conclusion:

Patient safety was enhanced.

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