Development of a Digital Monitoring System to Reduce Risk of Hospital-Acquired Pressure Injuries

Project Summary/Abstract The goal of the proposed SBIR project is to develop, implement, and demonstrate the feasibility of a Digital Pressure Injury Monitoring (DPIM) system to reduce the risk of Hospital-Acquired Pressure Injuries (HAPIs). HAPIs are a common, costly, and serious problem for public health. Ocuvera’s DPIM system will use data from three-dimensional video processing and custom algorithms to detect and predict risky patient behaviors as well as to automate nurse record keeping related to HAPIs. Algorithms will be refined, tested, and customized to different subtle patient behaviors that are related to risk of HAPI development. Ocuvera will create a user interface to automate record keeping and provide intelligent activity reports. To garner feedback from end- users, Ocuvera will deploy the prototype DPIM to a local hospital where data will be collected on a small number of patients during a short field test. Feedback will be gathered from nursing staff using the system to determine its potential impact on HAPI care. Information gathered during this Phase I study will inform refinement of the system and prepare Ocuvera for a larger clinical trial during Phase II. If successful, this study would show Ocuvera’s potential as an innovative technology with the ability to reduce risk of HAPIs and improve the standard of care, which represents a significant opportunity to improve outcomes for patients, hospitals, and nursing staff.Project Narrative HAPIs are a common, costly, and serious problem for public health. Digital Pressure Injury Monitoring has the potential to reduce the risk and severity of HAPIs. Reducing the risk of HAPIs among high risk patients will benefit the public through increased quality of life, decreased injury, and decreased cost of hospital care.