Best practices for patient care

Safeguarding patients is the number one priority for most healthcare facilities. Since not taking the right / enough measures can affect the health and integrity of patients, and the reputation of the healthcare organization, it is vital to create a culture of safety through best practices and adequate technologies.

Preventing patient falls and ensuring the well-being of people with physiological, cognitive, and behavioral conditions often requires the employment of sitters, which can be a considerable investment and prone to human errors and workplace violence.

Patient sitter responsibilities include close supervision, notification of events to nurses or other healthcare professionals, and emotional support to patients. However, most patients at risk require frequent observation rather than continuous. A S.A.F.E. alternative to sitters article suggests that there are best strategies that can optimize patient care while making it possible to decrease sitting hours and operational costs.

The basic premise of a S.A.F.E. unit is grouping similar patients in proximity for staff members to attend to them frequently if not constantly, except for the acutely suicidal patient, in which case a constant observer must continually remain within arms reach of the patient.

However, for most other cases, including the delirious, confused, and demented, and patients with violent tendencies or at risk for falls, having a sitter next to them 24/7 might not benefit them more. Since they have episodes of calmness during sleep, are with visitors, or can experience pain-free intervals, having the regular 8-12 hour shifts of sitters might be unwarranted.

Further, due to the random and unstable nature of patients, a monitoring system is required. It needs to be flexible enough to adapt to each case with success. This surveillance system must be in alignment with upholding the healthcare facility’s values of respect and dignity for every person.

Best practices

Some of the most valuable techniques to guarantee the safety of at-risk patients involve:

• A multidisciplinary risk assessment
• Safe toilet practices
• Patient’s engagement
• Individualized post-fall plans

Effective patient safety programs require predominantly skilled healthcare workers, the integration of patient-to-nurse communication solutions, video surveillance technologies, and close collaboration with interprofessional teams.

First-class patient monitoring

Video monitoring is an efficacious way to ensure patient safety. Smart cameras are being utilized for patient monitoring and fall mitigation across hospitals, urgent care centers, and clinics and as a way to rapidly respond to incidents, which can make a huge difference in the outcome of an emergency.

Video is a foundational component of a safe environment for those patients who necessitate 24/7 vigilance and care. Only video surveillance can offer constant monitoring and just the right attention patients and family members expect from healthcare organizations.

Moreover, with remote access to live and historical video footage from a designated viewing station, computer, or mobile device, security teams, and health professionals can have clear visibility into the real-time status of patients.

Remote monitoring can document patient observation, interactions, and adverse events prevented within the system, as well as significantly reduce falls, falls with injuries, and one-to-one sitter costs. Modern solutions make it possible to share live footage with law enforcement, customize user permissions based on unit and/or role, and still protect patient data as per HIPAA.