Detection and classification methodology for movements in the bed that supports continuous pressure injury risk...

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Clinical Nursing
• Healthcare Technology

Background:

• Pressure injuries represent a significant financial burden on healthcare systems and are largely preventable, yet their incidence remains high.
• Current recommendations emphasize continuous monitoring and care team prompts for effective pressure injury prevention.
• Existing monitoring systems may not adequately capture patient movement crucial for risk assessment.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the feasibility of the E-scale bed weight monitoring system for detecting and classifying patient movements.
• To assess the E-scale's potential role in pressure injury risk assessment and prevention strategies.
• To determine the accuracy of a threshold-based algorithm and K-nearest neighbor classification for movement analysis.

Main Methods:

• Utilized the E-scale, a system employing load cells under bed legs to monitor weight distribution and detect movement.
• Implemented a threshold-based detection algorithm to identify movement events.
• Employed a K-nearest neighbor classification approach to categorize different types of patient movements in bed.

Main Results:

• The E-scale system demonstrated high accuracy (>94%) in detecting and classifying four distinct movement types: rolls, turns in place, extremity movements, and assisted turns.
• The system proved effective in differentiating various patient repositioning activities.
• Movement data captured by the E-scale is relevant for pressure injury risk stratification.

Conclusions:

• The E-scale system is a feasible tool for monitoring patient movements in bed, offering valuable data for pressure injury prevention.
• This technology can serve as a prompt for healthcare providers, enabling timely interventions to mitigate pressure injury risk.
• The E-scale supports further research into the efficacy of different care plans and repositioning protocols for pressure injury management.