Study Shows Wearable Leaf Patient Monitoring System Promotes Early Mobility, Improves Teamwork, Enhances Workflow

PLEASANTON, Calif., March 5, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- A study conducted in 16 nursing units of nine acute-care hospitals found the Leaf Patient Monitoring System promotes early patient mobility and can double adherence rates with patient-turning protocols.

Findings will be presented in a poster entitled "The Influence of Wearable Technology on Nursing Attitudes and Adherence to Patient Turning and Repositioning" at the 2019 Safe Patient Handling & Mobility Conference, March 4-8, in Orlando.

The study found that the Leaf system improved adherence with each institution's patient turning protocols by identifying patients who needed repositioning, which nurses in the study said made patient repositioning much easier.

"It's exciting that Leaf Patient Monitoring Technology enables timely repositioning of patients to reduce the risk of pressure injuries and promote early, safe mobility," said Melissa Klaeb, PT, DPT, the study's corresponding author. "But even more exciting is the fact that surveys of nurses using the Leaf system demonstrated the wearable technology is easy to use and increases unit efficiency and workflow. This distinguishes the Leaf system from so many medical devices that are difficult or complicated to use and offer dubious value."

Survey results found:

• 86 percent of nurses said the patient monitoring technology helped to identify patients who needed turning.
• 75 percent said it improved unit teamwork.
• 71 percent said it helped to prioritize workflow demands.

Following the Leaf technology deployment, just 6 percent of nurses said timely patient turning is difficult or very difficult – down from 44 percent prior to deployment.

The Leaf Patient Monitoring System has been used to track the mobility of more than 25,000 patients for more than 2.5 million hours and was recently shown in a published, randomized, controlled trial of over 1,250 ICU patients to reduce the number of hospital-acquired pressure ulcers (HAPUs) by 74 percent while promoting early patient mobility.

Studies have shown the Leaf System improves patient turning and mobility, reduces pressure injury rates, helps nurses prioritize patient care, improves unit workflow, and saves hospitals non-reimbursed costs associated with the treatment of pressure injuries.

The Leaf System, the first FDA-cleared medical technology that continuously monitors patient activity and position to identify those who could benefit from repositioning, has been deployed in healthcare facilities since 2014.  It tracks patient movement and activity in bed-bound, chair-bound, and ambulatory patients.

The federal Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) recently reported the number of pressure injuries has increased by 10 percent nationally and that they are the fastest-growing hospital-acquired condition. Serious pressure injuries affect 705,000 patients a year and add $10.2 billion to annual U.S. healthcare costs.

About Leaf Healthcare, Inc.

Leaf Healthcare is a medical technology company dedicated to preventing hospital-acquired pressure injuries/ulcers and other immobility-related complications, which are some of the most common and costly hospital-acquired conditions. Several studies have shown that the FDA-cleared Leaf Patient Monitoring System is a powerful tool that reduces hospital-acquired pressure injuries/ulcers, allows providers to prioritize care, and helps provide a safer environment for patients. The Leaf System is available through Leaf Healthcare and Smith & Nephew. To learn more, visit www.leafhealthcare.com

Media Contact:

Mark Smith
Leaf Healthcare
844-826-5323
[email protected] 

Jim Martinez
312-543-9026
[email protected] 

SOURCE Leaf Healthcare

Related Links

http://www.leafhealthcare.com