Scripps Health is studying whether wireless wrist monitors can be used in a hospital to collect and monitor vital signs from patients.
The San Diego-based health system is using ViSi Mobile wristbands, developed by Sotera Wireless, on as many as 30 patients in one of the medical-surgical units at Scripps Green Hospital in nearby La Jolla. The FDA-approved devices measure electrocardiogram (ECG), heart rate, pulse, blood pressure, blood oxygenation and skin temperature, continuously displaying the data on a small screen and relaying the data to a nursing station, where the information is monitored in real-time through an online dashboard.
"Wireless health technology has an important role to play in a patient-focused healthcare system," Scripps Health President and CEO Chris Van Gorder said in a press release. "We are evaluating the latest mobile health devices at our hospitals to see where they can help improve patient outcomes, increase efficiency and lower costs."
Mary Ellen Doyle, Scripps vice president for nursing operations, explained in the statement that "continuous monitoring tells a much deeper story about what is going on with a patient, revealing early signs of trouble that can trigger life-saving intervention.”
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Scripps officials also cited a patient – William Romo of San Diego, who said the ViSi Mobile device was less intrusive than having a nurse check vital signs every one or two hours or being attached to myriad bedside monitors. "I like that I don't have wires attached all over me," Romo said.
A second study will be launched in early 2014 on a group of patients at Scripps Memorial Hospital in La Jolla, Scripps said. Once that study is complete, officials will decide whether to deploy the ViSi Mobile devices on a permanent basis.
This past August, Scripps Health positioned itself as a wireless health innovator with the launch of Wired for Health, a large-scale study designed to explore the intersection of wireless technologies, healthcare and social networks. The four-hospital network is partnering with the associated Scripps Translational Science Institute and several vendors, including Qualcomm Life, HealthComp and Accenture.
The first phase of that study involved equipping roughly 100 Scripps Health members affected by chronic conditions with a mobile device – either a Withings Blood Pressure Monitor, AliveCor Heart Monitor or iBGStar Blood Glucose Meter – to monitor their conditions. Scripps officials are analyzing whether those devices are helping patients improve management of their health and reducing medical costs.
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