Virtual observation systems are rapidly gaining traction in a variety of healthcare settings, serving as a first line of defense for at-risk patients by alerting clinical staff so they can quickly intervene. This technology also drives workflow efficiency by freeing up clinical staff — who might otherwise be assigned to sit and monitor patients in-person — to perform other tasks.
Patient bedside systems can be portable wireless units or permanent installations that consist of a video camera and two-way audio that transmits to a central monitoring station. Cameras can tilt, pan, zoom, and utilize night vision technology when lighting is dim. Each monitoring station is typically staffed by a trained virtual sitter, often a nurse tech, who watches up to 10 to 12 patients at a time. The observer can centrally observe a group of patients either within a single facility or across multiple facilities.
Virtual Patient Observation: Common Applications
Common applications for virtual observation include:
- Rapid response
- Fall prevention in hospitals
- High-risk patient monitoring (harm to self, harm to/from others)
- NICU observation
- Telestroke management
- Patient transfers
Not all patients are viable candidates for virtual observation. Typically, a patient’s nurse and clinical staff will determine if a patient meets the criteria for virtual observation by considering a variety of factors and asking questions such as: Is the patient re-directable? Does the patient have low impulsivity? Is the patient able to hear and comprehend verbal direction?
If the answer to any of the above questions is “no,” the patient may instead benefit from having a physical sitter in the room.
How to Tell if Your Organization Can Benefit from Virtual Patient Observation
The decision to use virtual observation technology must be made by carefully evaluating the needs of your patients, staff, and organization. How do you see the technology being implemented within your organization or facility? Do you have existing technology that might be integrated with new virtual observation software?
Here are some additional questions to consider if you are evaluating a virtual patient observation solution for your organization or facility:
- What is our current daily/monthly/annual spend on physical sitters?
- What are our current fall rates per patient day?
- Are there other use cases that we might be able to leverage with the technology?
- Are there issues with inappropriate transfers from outside locations?
- What is our ICU bounce-back rate?
- What is our post-acute hospital readmission rate?
From night-vision features to language translation services, there are key capabilities to be mindful of as you lay out your virtual care and observation strategy.
Download our white paper Considering Virtual Observation for Your Healthcare Organization, for more detail on key factors to consider when identifying the right virtual observation solution for your healthcare organization.