technology
There are quite a few differences to the current systems.
We’ve also looked at the accuracy, because one of the
problems with the current systems is that they have a high false
alarm rate, and that has been reported to cause a degree of
nurse fatigue.
With this system, the preliminary work we’ve done has
identified that it’s substantially more accurate than the
existing systems.
What other measures will you look for? How else will you
gauge AmbIGeM’s success?
The biggest success indicator will be falls, and falls injuries. We’re
running a project over some of the wards at both the Queen
Elizabeth Hospital in Adelaide and at Sir Charles Gairdner in Perth.
These will be over a two-year period.
We’re using what’s called a stepped wedge design, so we start
off with all of the participating wards as controls, so we’re just
collecting data now.
This year one of the wards will go live, and then six months
later a second one will go live, and six months later a third one.
All of those wards will be live at that point. So, over the two
years, we’ll be monitoring when the wards are inactive or live
with the new intervention, what changes occur with falls and
falls injuries.
We’re also looking at the usability of the system. We’ve
done some preliminary work that shows older patients are
quite accepting of the technology, but that’s been in a small
study, so we will be looking at that, plus some qualitative
work looking at the nurses’ understanding and satisfaction with
the system.
It’s not only nurses – one of the other advantages of this
system is that allied health staff, as well as nurses, will have the
mobile device that will alarm.
So, if there’s a physiotherapist in an adjoining room
and the alarm goes off, then the physio might be the first
person to attend. That increases the reach of the potential
responders as well.
How easy would it be to translate AmbIGeM into
a residential aged care setting, or in the home?
The actual technology of the sensor and the singlet
is very cheap, and won’t be a problem if the study is
successful. The main upfront infrastructure cost is
the sensors in the roof that detect what’s occurring,
the movements that are taking place. So, if it becomes
something that’s viable to apply to quite a large number
of hospitals and/or residential care facilities, the cost will
clearly come down.
We envisage, particularly with residential care, that the
system will be quite applicable. It’s particularly relevant
for those patients in hospitals or in residential care with
cognitive impairment.
In terms of homes, that’s a little further down the road – a
bit more refinement of the technology and system is needed
to do that.
But there’s no doubt that if we can provide a system
that’s able to monitor a person with, say, dementia, as
they move around their house, so that their carer is not
constantly worrying and having to keep a close eye on
that person, then that will be a valuable addition. But
we will need to see some changes in the system to reach
that point. ■
The singlet has a small sensor inserted over the sternum. Photo: Curtin University
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