AONE Presentation to Show How Patient Repositioning Reduces Hospital-Acquired Pressure Injuries (HAPIs)
Year-long quality initiative reduced common HAPIs and eliminated severe cases at community hospital
Study used Leaf Healthcare technology to monitor effectiveness of patient repositioning
PLEASANTON, Calif., April 10, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- The success of one hospital's quality improvement program to significantly reduce Hospital-Acquired Pressure Injuries (HAPIs) will be showcased at the American Organization of Nurse Executives (AONE) 2019 Annual Conference in San Diego tomorrow.
Kaiser Permanente nurse executives will present "Turning Program Reduces Hospital-Acquired Pressure Injuries (HAPIs) in Critical Care" at 11:45 a.m. Pacific time. The year-long quality improvement project, which implemented an improved patient repositioning program in a 132-bed community hospital, reduced sacrococcygeal HAPIs – one of the most common pressure injuries – by 50% and eliminated severe HAPIs entirely. The study also found that repositioning may have reduced hospital-acquired pneumonia. Pneumonia cases decreased by 40% in the units participating in the quality improvement study.
Study patients were monitored using the Leaf Patient Monitoring System, the only technology on the market designed exclusively to help providers increase compliance with patient mobility protocols to help prevent pressure ulcers. The Leaf System notifies nurses when a patient needs to be repositioned and requires a minimum turn angle to be met to encourage adequate, offloaded turns.
"The Leaf Patient Monitoring System is the first technology available to notify nurses when patients have been repositioned sufficiently to protect them from pressure injuries," said Annemari Cooley, Leaf Healthcare Vice President of Market Development. "Nurses who do not have access to the Leaf System monitoring information have no way of knowing if a patient has been repositioned sufficiently. Leaf technology improved both nurse performance and efficiency."
The four-day AONE meeting is one of the nation's leading conferences for nursing leaders, attracting thousands of attendees who will learn about the latest trends in healthcare and nursing.
This is the just the latest of multiple studies employing the Leaf Patient Monitoring System to monitor and enhance patient mobility. One randomized, controlled trial of over 1,250 ICU patients found that use of the Leaf System helped to reduce the number of hospital-acquired pressure ulcers by 73 percent while promoting early patient mobility.
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
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