Having the right equipment is key to delivering the best care without skipping a beat.
Oak Valley Health (formerly Markham Stouffville Hospital) will be revitalizing a crucial tool that keeps its cardiac care patients safely monitored throughout their stay.
Telemetry is a powerful tool for real-time observation providing critical monitoring of vital statistics such as a patient’s heart rhythm for a period of time.
The new Phillips telemetry system that will be implemented in a few weeks at Oak Valley Health’s Markham Stouffville Hospital and Uxbridge Hospital, will use a small heart monitor that is placed on a patient and may stay with them through their hospital journey, providing constant monitoring of vital information without interruption and significantly reduces clinical risk.
“This state-of-the-art technology will allow us to continue providing an extraordinary patient experience,” says Carnett Howell-Belle, Patient Care Director, Medicine Program. “Being able to monitor vital information will help us see different patterns a patient may be experiencing and will help flag any potential health concerns.”
With the current telemetry system, each time a patient needs to leave their room for an exam or assessment, the monitor needs to be removed causing an interruption in the data collection. Another big change will be the use of patient alarms. The current system only allows staff to hear patient alarms when they are close to the centralized station. The new model will have the alerts go directly to phones that are carried by nursing staff.
“We are thrilled to be able to offer this new technology to patients at both the Markham Stouffville Hospital and Uxbridge Hospital,” says Sandi Lofgren, Patient Care Director of the Uxbridge Hospital. “Staff and physicians across both hospitals will be able to use real-time data at the bedside instead of going to a central place on the unit to collect their patient’s information.
“The new system will also have the added benefit of giving patients the peace-of-mind that they are being monitored 24/7.”
Photo: The new Philips Telemetry System uses a small heart monitor to track vital information. Story submitted by Melissa Londono.