CHS expanded its Virtual Sitter Program in 2023, from three hospitals to 29. This expansion, fueled by 165 remote monitoring devices, aims to enhance safety and enable bedside nurses to focus on other aspects of patient care.
Powering the expansion is AvaSure, an AI-augmented application for patient monitoring and observation. AvaSure reduces the need for 1:1 sitters and prevents adverse events on a large scale. It operates as a high-quality, two-way video system for remote nursing workflows, alleviating pressure on on-site clinicians and support staff.
To achieve these goals, CHS established a Virtual Services Center in Clarksville, Tennessee, staffed with 35 employees. These professionals provide round-the-clock patient monitoring, following a centralized model for virtual monitoring and clinical best practices.
The program’s key components include real-time monitoring, intelligent response mechanisms, and adaptable communication interfaces, leading to improved efficiencies, increased capacity for patient monitoring, and reduced rates of falls and fall-related injuries across participating hospitals.
A significant benefit of the program is the enhancement of safety, demonstrated by the reduction in patient falls and disruptions of medical devices. In 2023, the technology monitored nearly 9,200 patients, preventing over 50,000 potential adverse events and more than 38,000 potential falls through verbal interventions and pre-recorded announcements in patients’ preferred languages.
Perhaps the most compelling benefit of the Virtual Services Center is the peace-of-mind it provides family members. One patient’s daughter who hadn’t left her mother’s bedside at Laredo Medical Center commented that she had not been able to rest at all since her mom was admitted, and that the tele-sitter allowed her to either nap in the room or go home to get some rest without having to worry.