Summary: Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC) is piloting Masimo’s Radius VSM patient-worn monitor and Patient SafetyNet in its emergency department. The devices provide continuous, wireless monitoring in nontraditional spaces like waiting rooms, aiming to improve patient safety and alleviate ER congestion.

Key Takeaways:

  • Radius VSM allows VUMC to provide continuous monitoring in spaces like hallway beds and waiting rooms, enhancing patient care in previously unmonitored areas.
  • The successful pilot may expand beyond the ED, potentially benefiting other hospital wards through wider use of Masimo’s monitoring technology.

Masimo announced that Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC) is piloting the use of the Masimo Radius VSM patient-worn vital signs monitor with Masimo Patient SafetyNet supplemental remote monitoring in the emergency department (ED) and nontraditional care spaces.

Addressing ER Congestion with Continuous Monitoring

Launched as part of a pilot program aimed at tackling the ongoing crisis of emergency room congestion, Radius VSM has been used on hallway beds, in the emergency medical service offload area, and on patients in the waiting room who are typically only monitored periodically, providing continuous, wireless monitoring for those who may otherwise be left vulnerable to unexpected deterioration.

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Radius VSM is a wearable device that acts as a bedside monitor. With its implementation alongside Patient SafetyNet, clinicians at VUMC are able to remotely monitor vital signs in real time from centralized view stations, simplifying patient data management to enable quicker intervention during possible deterioration. The modular, scalable monitoring platform offers a range of physiological measurements, including Masimo SET pulse oximetry, measure-on-inflation noninvasive blood pressure, continuous temperature, respiration rate, and 3-leadwire electrocardiography (ECG).

Transforming Spaces for Proactive Patient Care

By monitoring ED patients with Radius VSM, VUMC is transforming spaces that lacked continuous monitoring into areas of proactive patient care. This level of visibility may help clinicians reduce the use of telemetry, potentially saving time and resources and improving patient throughput and prioritization to other parts of the hospital, such as the general ward or medical and surgical wards.

The initial success of VUMC’s pilot program has allowed for an expanded rollout within the ED designed to elevate care for vulnerable patients. Moreover, the promising results may lead to adoption in other areas of the hospital, such as medical and surgical wards, broadening the impact of Masimo’s innovative technology on patient care throughout VUMC.

“Rising patient acuity and volume at VUMC necessitate strategic initiatives to augment our care infrastructure,” said Neal Patel, MD, MPH, professor of clinical pediatrics and chief informatics officer for HealthIT at VUMC. “Wireless physiologic monitoring in the ED enhances surveillance and vigilance of each patient’s status even when they are in the waiting room.”