Phoebe Putney Memorial Hospital brings in new technology to help prevent falls

ALBANY — To help reduce the number of patient falls and injuries, Phoebe Putney Memorial Hospital has implemented new technology, the AvaSys TeleSitter, which officials said allows medical staff to both observe and talk remotely with patients who are at high risk of falling.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality says that falls are a common complication of hospital care, particularly in elderly patients.

“This new system emphasizes our commitment to quality and safety for our patients,” Phoebe Chief Nursing Officer Evelyn Olenick said. “It is the first line of defense for patients at risk, allowing staff to immediately and directly intervene when a patient is at risk of self-harm.”

Many falls occur when patients try to get out of bed, either to use the restroom or walk around independently, with injuries ranging from scrapes and bruises to broken bones or head injuries. Officials said the AvaSys TeleSitter is equipped with an infrared camera and two-way audio and is set up in rooms of patients identified as high risk for falls.

Trained staff monitor live feeds from those rooms at a central station 24 hours a day, seven days a week. If a patient tries to get out of bed, the observer can interact with the patient with a gentle reminder to wait for assistance or sound an alarm for immediate staff attention.

“On the first day, we were able to effectively alarm staff of a near-miss that could have been a potential fall for one of our patients. The extra layer of safety the system provides is exactly what our vulnerable patients need,” Olenick said.

Patients in imminent danger receive an alarm, which signals the staff to head quickly to the patient’s room. During February, the system’s first full month of use at Phoebe, officials at the hospital said trained observers initiated 309 alarms that helped prevent potential falls.

The cameras do not record, and there are privacy options to temporarily block visibility when necessary. There are currently 12 AvaSys TeleSitters monitoring patients at Phoebe’s main campus and at nearby Phoebe North.

Phoebe officials said the new technology does not replace any of the current safety measures the staff uses. All at-risk patients are identified with yellow or red arm bands, and they wear skid-resistant socks. Officials said the clinical staff keeps a patient’s personal items and call buttons within reach, sets beds at the lowest position and makes sure rooms are uncluttered.

The AHRQ said epidemiologic studies have found that falls occur at a rate of three to five per 1,000 bed days, and it estimates that 700,000 to one million hospitalized patients fall each year.

Jennifer Parks