Welch Allyn, a medical diagnostic device company, and EarlySense Ltd, a provider of Proactive Patient Care Solutions, have entered into a distribution agreement. Under the terms of the agreement, Welch Allyn will distribute the EarlySense system to hospitals across the United States.
Without ever physically touching the patient, the EarlySense system measures heart rate, respiration rate, patient movement while in bed, and patient bed entries and exits using a sensor that is placed under the mattress of a bed.
Welch Allyn President and CEO Steve Meyer said, “EarlySense technology assists clinicians in early detection of patient deterioration to help medical teams save lives and reduce costs. The opportunity to partner with EarlySense enables Welch Allyn to continue providing its customers with proven solutions that answer the growing clinical, economic, and regulatory needs to reduce adverse clinical events and improve patient safety. We view this relationship as an important advancement that brings better, more cost-effective care to previously unmonitored beds.”
The EarlySense technology is designed to monitor patients on medical surgical floors who typically have their vital signs taken only once every four hours. In the event of a change in a patient’s status, the system immediately and simultaneously provides alerts to the clinical staff via the bedside monitor, the central nursing station, hallway displays, and directly to their pagers or in-house telephones.
