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Methods Inf Med 2011; 50(03): 253-264
DOI: 10.3414/ME0616
Original Article
Schattauer GmbH

Feasibility Evaluation of Smart Stretcher to Improve Patient Safety during Transfers

K. Ohashi
1   Division of General Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
5   Department of Bioinformatics, Graduate School of Biomedical Science, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan
,
Y. Kurihara
2   Department of Computer and Information Science, Faculty of Science and Technology, Seikei University, Musashino-shi Tokyo, Japan
,
K. Watanabe
3   Faculty of Engineering, Hosei University, Musashino-shi, Tokyo, Japan
,
L. Ohno-Machado
4   Division of Biomedical Informatics, University of California, San Diego, CA, USA
,
H. Tanaka
5   Department of Bioinformatics, Graduate School of Biomedical Science, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan
› Institutsangaben
Weitere Informationen

Publikationsverlauf

received: 17. November 2008

accepted: 22. März 2010

Publikationsdatum:
18. Januar 2018 (online)

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Summary

Objectives: The integration of noninvasive vital sign sensors and wireless sensor networks into intelligent alarm systems has the potential to improve patient safety. We developed a wireless network-based system (“Smart Stretcher”), which was designed to constantly monitor patient vital signs and detect apnea during transfers within a hospital. The system alerts medical staff in case of an emergency through a wireless network.

Methods: A small-scale technical feasibility study was conducted to assess the performance of the system in a simulated hospital environment. Smart Stretcher consists of three components: a small air-mat type pressure sensor measuring respiratory rate and detecting apnea, a patient identification system using RFID technology, and an indoor positioning system using a ZigBee wireless network. In the feasibility experiment, two nurses transferred four subjects who stopped breathing for 10 seconds, after which we calculated the accuracy of apnea detections, repeating this at varying speeds and subject positions. We alsoperformed asubjective evaluation of perceptions and expectations of Smart Stretcher by nurses.

Results: The system could detect apnea in all subjects at a rate of over 90%, patient IDs and locations were correctly detected in real time, and the system could alert medical staff. In addition, the results of nurse’s evaluations were mostly positive.

Conclusions: The technical feasibility experiment and evaluation of Smart Stretcher suggest that the system could play a key role in monitoring patients during hospital transfers.

Keywords

Patient monitoring - patient identification system - safety management
 

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