Wearable medical technology that tracks heart rate, respiration and blood oxygen has reduced manual vital-sign checks on a Dutch surgical ward by 62.7 per cent, freeing nursing time
Catharina Hospital in Eindhoven is rolling out an autonomous wearable armband that monitors patients’ vital signs to more departments, after a pilot study found that the technology reduced nurses’ workload.
The reusable ‘viQtor’ device, developed by Eindhoven-based ‘smartQare’, is worn on a patient’s upper arm and continuously measures heart rate, respiratory rate and blood oxygen saturation. The readings are transmitted through a mobile connection and displayed in the hospital’s electronic health records.
In a study published in the World Journal of Surgery, Catharina Hospital surgical physician-researcher Ephrahim Jerry and his team detailed how they tested the monitor during routine care on a surgical ward. Thirty nurses completed workload assessments, while 622 patients were given the wearable device.
More time with patients
