Teladoc Health launched an artificial-intelligence-enabled technology that allows hospital staff to virtually detect when a patient is at risk of falling from a hospital bed. The solution, unveiled Monday and called Virtual Sitter, is now commercially available.
Hospitalized patients may be at risk of falling from their hospital beds for innocuous reasons, such as needing to use the bathroom, leaning to get a cup of water or to reach a phone and contact family. Nearly 1 million hospitalized patients experience falls each year, and 30% result in lasting injuries, Teladoc Health cited in a press release.
The Virtual Sitter uses AI to detect when a patient performs a movement that puts them at risk of falling. Using computer vision, the Virtual Sitter technology detects when the patient moves beyond set spatial boundaries. Teladoc’s advanced AI can distinguish the patient from other people in the room, can determine whether the patient is sitting up or lying down to determine risky movements, and tracks limb movements.
On the other end of the Virtual Sitter is a hospital-trained, nonclinical staff person who can safely monitor up to 25% more patients with the technology. The AI movement detection alerts the remote staff member when a patient crosses the boundaries of the Bounding Box or moves in a risky fashion. Related
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The virtual patient monitor can speak directly with the patient to determine their needs and alert in-person staff if the patient needs assistance.
The Virtual Sitter integrates with Teladoc Health’s TV Pro devices and builds on other inpatient connected care solutions, which support virtual nursing, physician consults, interpretive services and other hybrid care services.
Andy Puterbaugh, Teladoc Health president of hospitals and health systems, said the product was developed to help customers mitigate workforce challenges and improve financial operations. Puterbaugh said in an email statement to Fierce Healthcare that telehealth should be used to transform care and not be limited to specific use cases.
“While hospitals and health systems utilize sitters today as part of their patient safety programs, Teladoc’s AI-enabled virtual sitter solution allows a single […]
Teladoc Health launches AI motion detection solution to improve patient safety in hospital beds
