Challenge

Caring for patients with increased safety needs and those needing 1:1 observation is a challenge to hospital resources. One of the most expensive safety practices in acute care hospitals in the United States is the use of constant observation. Most programs are developed with patient safety in mind, but the costs increase over time.

What’s more, the literature on constant observation shows very little proof of improvement in successful outcomes, such as fewer falls.

Solution

Clinical Nurse Specialists identified 8 units for a pilot program using video monitoring. During the 3 quarters following the implementation of video monitoring, there was a significant impact on resource utilization. With the use of full-time patient safety attendants, there was an approximate annual savings of $211,000 and no increase in the number of falls.