A new Smart Sensing Patient Movement Monitor has been developed by MediSmart Technologies to help nursing and care staff quickly and easily identify if a patient has been repositioned during a set period.

The innovative and simple SmartMove system uses an easy to install sensor pad which is attached to a bed frame at the base of a mattress, covering the area of the upper and lower torso areas.

Once activated, the system uses a simple traffic light display to show healthcare providers the level of a patient movement and whether an individual has been repositioned over a certain period.

According to the company, the required positioning timings can be programmed and set to meet whatever the clinical needs are, such as every half an hour or every hour.

“This valuable information also assists the caring staff in making the clinical decision of “stepping up” to an alternative support surface” David Beavis

Additionally, the fully patented design is manufactured to retrofit onto any existing foam or hybrid mattress system.

Highlighting the importance of its retrofitting capabilities, David Beavis, Sales Director at MediSmart Technologies and the Chair of the BHTA’s Beds & Support Surfaces Section, said: “Since it can retrofit onto the base of a mattress, the patient/service user is not laying on it thus not compromising any tissue viability efficacy.

“This means that a hospital or community can move the system from bed to bed as and when usage is required, regardless if it is an existing foam or hybrid mattress.”

The simple and flexible system aims to save nursing time, as well as improve the comfort of patients and service users by healthcare providers not having to constantly disturb them when there has been some doubt or record of when they were last repositioned.

“This valuable information also assists the caring staff in making the clinical decision of “stepping up” to an alternative support surface,” added David.

Showcased at the recent NAEP Annual Conference, the innovation garnered considerable interest amongst attendees, with visitors asking if the application of the device could be extended.

“We were asked at the recent NAEP Conference if this valuable information could be transmitted either via an existing nurse call system or via text/smartphones etc to produce reports and therefore evidence of repositioning etc.

“The answer to this for an additional investment is yes. As a UK manufacturer, we are happy to discuss specific needs and requirements with any interested parties to explore ways in which we can assist.”

Specialising in the design and manufacture of many hybrid and air mattresses that are currently on the market, the company confirmed that it has a development plan to bring out more innovations that are designed to be simply effective in the near future.

To find out more about the new device, contact David on dbeavis@medismart.co.uk or visit www.medismart.co.uk

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