Occupant falls risk determination systems, methods and devices

• US 9,978,244 B2
• Filed: 08/18/2017
• Issued: 05/22/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 05/22/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hill-Rom Services Incorporated (Baxter International Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hill-Rom Services Incorporated (Baxter International Inc.)
• Inventors: Ribble, David L., McCleerey, Michelle E., Agdeppa, Eric D., Hood, Michael S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Swarthout, Brent
• Application Number:
  US15/680,530
• Publication Number:
  US 20170345275A1
• Time in Patent Office: 277 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1115 Monitoring leaving of a patient support, e.g. a bed or a wheelchair
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6892 Mats
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/746 Alarms related to a physiological condition, e.g. details of setting alarm thresholds or avoiding false alarms alarms per se G08B
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 2203/34 for pressure
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 7/012 raising or lowering of the whole mattress frame A61G7/005, A61G7/008 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 7/015 divided into different adjustable sections, e.g. for Gatch position
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 7/051 pivoting sideward
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 7/05769 with inflatable chambers
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/02 Alarms for ensuring the safety of persons
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0423 detecting deviation from an expected pattern of behaviour or schedule
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0461 integrated or attached to an item closely associated with the person but not worn by the person, e.g. chair, walking stick, bed sensor
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/22 responsive to presence or absence of persons

Abstract

A method comprises determining a person'"'"'s level of risk for developing an adverse condition; selecting a care protocol based on the level of risk; displaying a proposed configuration of a person support structure corresponding to the care protocol for a caregiver to approve; and upon approval by the caregiver, implementing the configuration.

Claims

1. A method of alerting a caregiver of a patient risk associated with a patient on a bed, the method comprising:

receiving input signals including;

(i) at least one of time since last toileting, input/output balance, or lack of catheter; and

(ii) patient position on the bed;

determining if the input signals mimic an egress profile;

determining whether the patient has been designated as a falls risk;

generating an alert if the input signals mimic the egress profile and if the patient has been designated as a falls risk; and

if the patient is designated as a falls risk, notifying a caregiver either to leave a walker in a room in which the patient is located or to leave fluids in the room in which the patient is located to reduce dehydration or both.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the input signals further include information sensed by a pressure map.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the pressure map comprises a mat positioned on the mattress.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the input signals further include information sensed by a load cell.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the load cell is included as part of a bed frame of the patient support structure.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the input signals further include information sensed by an image capture device.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the input signals further include information sensed by a 3D image sensor.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the input signals further include information sensed by an array of sensors and the person support structure includes a mattress, wherein the array of sensors is coupled to the mattress.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising communicating the alert to a caregiver via a nurse call system.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the alert is not generated if the time since last toileting is less than 6 hours.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the alert is not generated if the input/output balance is less than 400 milliliters (mL).

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the patient is designated as a falls risk based on information received from an electronic medical record system.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the patient is designated as a falls risk based on information provided by a caregiver.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the input signals includes information corresponding to a medical procedure the person underwent.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the input signals includes information corresponding to the person'"'"'s medication.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving at least one additional input signal corresponding to a facility input and modifying the alert as a function of the facility input.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the facility input includes information corresponding to at least one of the following:

time of day, staffing levels, caregiver round times, or likelihood an alert will be responded to within a predetermined amount of time.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein the input signals further include information relating to a sleep state of the patient.