For the Patient
For most hospital patients, the standard method of monitoring vital signs is a manual round of observations carried out every four hours on average, taking pulse rate, blood pressure, blood oxygen saturation and temperature, with respiration rate mostly being counted but not measured.
The VitalStream patient monitor offers a major step forward, providing beat-by-beat vital signs monitoring and a continuous connection between patient and clinician, enabling more individualized and timely care. It is comfortable to wear and does not restrict movement with any leads or cords. In measuring continuous non-invasive blood pressure (cNIBP), VitalStream eliminates intermittent cuff-based blood pressure checks, leading to higher patient comfort and safety.
For the Clinician
The care a patient receives in hospital varies according to their condition and so the monitoring of patient vital signs is very important to determine the clinical pathway for the best possible care. A clinician can only address one patient at a time, yet multiple patients will often be assigned to one nurse. By monitoring and automatically reporting multiple patients at once, VitalStream relieves pressure on nursing staff and provides clinicians with a continuous picture on which to base those important decisions.
VitalStream sets a new standard in wearable technology. Clinicians can monitor patients vital signs on a tablet, mobile phone or an integrated monitoring platform. There is no need for wires and leads or confusing connectivity/network configuration. VitalStream is a continuous monitoring solution that enables hospital staff to maintain an up-to-the-minute picture of patient condition and provide early intervention and rapid response to deteriorating health conditions.
“Caretaker’s continuous Blood Pressure Technology has tremendous commercial potential for use in the OR and many other applications. We were impressed with its motion tolerance in testing.”
- George C Kramer, PhD Director, Resuscitation Research Lab Professor, Dept of Anaesthesiology University of Texas Medical Branch
For the Hospital
Media and regulatory scrutiny of the healthcare system have increased during the past decade, compelling hospitals and physicians to adopt new systems and implement updated standards in order to reduce adverse events and/or medical errors.
The ability to identify early deterioration in a patient’s condition is critical in order to respond with necessary speed. However, observations are typically carried out every four hours, with patients remaining unmonitored in between, and therefore at risk of adverse events going unnoticed. As patient advocates, physicians and healthcare systems are held responsible for the continuous monitoring, implementation, enforcement, and upgrading of the applicable standards. Disregard for, or ignorance of, these standards is no longer excusable. Yet continuous vital signs monitoring is currently available only in high-acuity areas (eg ICU), using machines that lack mobility, are invasive for patients and intrusive for medical staff. This inhibits their effectiveness for use with multiple patients. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7GLRR4ITiSU
“Wireless, continuous monitoring devices hold enormous promise, and will be an important part of the medical landscape in the very near future. Monitoring of vital signs from virtually anywhere will play a significant role in patient care because uninterrupted monitoring can give insight into a patient’s condition in real time.”
- Professor Sir Bruce Keogh, Medical Director NHS
