The use of ViSi Mobile surveillance monitoring in the Quality Improvement Project at Mayo Clinic described in the American Journal of Nursing reduced Rapid Response Team activations, reduced Length of Stay for transfers to the ICU, and early detection and prevention of adverse events.
In early 2016, nurses on a 27-bed adult general medical unit in a large midwestern academic medical center (Mayo Clinic) identified a need to improve early recognition of patient deterioration and timely intervention. The unit’s clinical nurse specialist (CNS) conducted a retrospective review of patients’ electronic health record (EHR) data and found that sepsis and acute hypoxic respiratory failure were most frequently associated with patient deterioration. The team turned to ViSi Mobile from Sotera Wireless, Inc. to understand if continuous physiological monitoring could make an impact by conducting a Quality Improvement Project. The results were recently published in an article in the American Journal of Nursing.
More information is available at https://www.soterawireless.com/evidence
Since the project was conducted, this pulmonary medical unit has continued to utilize ViSi Mobile as one of its critical tools to monitor patients and to prevent the need to transfer patients to the ICU. Especially in the face of COVID-19 where patients can deteriorate very quickly, the nurses in this unit have seen first-hand how the ViSi Mobile monitoring system is able to pick up drops in vital signs even before a patient may recognize any of the symptoms in which case, they are able to administer critical care before it became too late.
“Ninety-seven percent of patient deterioration events were recognized and treated as a result of this continuous monitoring and response system. Rapid response team activations decreased by 53% between baseline and the intervention period. Length of stay (LOS) among patients transferred to the ICU decreased from 2.82 to 2.19 days. Nurse satisfaction with the use of the continuous monitoring device was positive, with 74% of nurses surveyed reporting that information provided by the device enhanced decision-making.”
“A paper survey was delivered to all patients who wore the monitoring device during the project period. Patients’ responses were positive overall: they felt safe with the device in use, the device was comfortable to wear, and the wires were secure enough so they rarely came off or got caught on other objects. According to anecdotal comments, patients appreciated not having to be disconnected from a wall monitor before getting out of bed to move to the chair, ambulate, or go to the bathroom.”
The Quality Improvement Project journal article was authored by Courtney Stellpflug, a clinical nurse specialist, Laura Pierson, a hospital staff nurse, Devin Roloff, a health systems engineer, Elton Mosman, an operations administrator, Tera Gross, a nurse administrator, Scott Marsh, a unit nurse manager, Valerie Willis, a nurse education specialist, and Donald Gabrielson, a healthcare technology management asset administrator, all at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN. It was published in the AJN, American Journal of Nursing: April 2021 – Volume 121 – Issue 4 – p 40-46.
Sotera Wireless is a San Diego, CA-based healthcare technology company dedicated to producing the most accurate, comprehensive wearable monitoring system in the industry. The ViSi Mobile System enables ICU-level continuous monitoring to the general ward and beyond. The system is a wearable platform that continuously monitors all patient vital signs (Pulse Rate, Heart Rate (3 ECG Lead and 5 ECG Lead), SpO2, cNIBP (Continuous Non-Invasive Blood Pressure), MAP, Respiration Rate, Skin Temperature, Posture, Fall Detection, and Life-Threatening Arrhythmias (AFIB, AFIB RVR, VFIB, Asystole) and wirelessly communicates data to clinicians. System alerts can be tailored to notify clinicians of fluctuations that signal deterioration in a patient’s health.
This use of surveillance monitoring reduced Rapid Response Team activations, reduced Length of Stay (LOS) for transfers to the ICU, and early detection and prevention of adverse events.
Interested parties can find more information by visiting https://www.soterawireless.com/evidence