Levanger Hospital's stroke and geriatrics department eliminated falls with RoomMate digital supervision

Levanger Hospital has functions in most fields, including the emergency department, maternity ward, children's ward, medical and surgical clinics, and psychiatry. There is a local hospital for 100,000 inhabitants in the southern part of Nord-Trøndelag.

Great challenges with falls

A department of the Medical Clinic with geriatric patients and stroke patients had major challenges with an increase in falls. In 2021, the department had 20 falls, and there was a great desire for change. A fall has major consequences, both financially and for the person who becomes injured and can be the start of a long-term course of illness and loss of functional capacity.

A single fall with a hip fracture costs an average of NOK one million and requires a lot of healthcare resources and training.

This is an important incentive to prevent falls, considering the demographic changes that will take place toward 2035. A municipality in Midt-Trøndelag has mapped that there will be an increase in the elderly aged 80-89 by 156 percent. This probably also applies on a national basis.

The hospital in Levanger started its path to a solution by orienting itself in the market around technology that was specially developed for falls and found a good case from UNN Tromsø with RoomMate.

After getting a clear picture of the costs and collaborating with the purchasing department and the IT department, the department applied for project funds. They received a ROS analysis from UNN which they used as background for the work and also prepared a new one for Helse-Midt.

Privacy procedures and consent competence

They also familiarized themselves well with the necessary data protection routines and data protection consequences. Paragraph 4-6 a, which concerns the specialist service, was particularly important in this case.

They also entered into early dialogue with the State Administrator regarding consent competence, and as of now, there is no requirement to send a decision regarding consent competence for RoomMate. After all, this is not about "monitoring", but tools that prevent injuries and something that the hospital is obliged to use according to the law.

The hospital in Levanger took several measures that ensured that the implementation of RoomMate was a success in November 2021, and profit realization.

The department has had several success criteria for the project

• There should be an internal desire for change
• Employees who see the benefits and managers who facilitate new ideas
• Unwavering faith in the project, which is contagious
• Look at what others have done, not necessarily find out everything yourself, in this case UNN paved the way for Levanger
• Have a collaboration with the municipality or institution. The hospital in Levanger has collaborated with the hospital in Ålesund throughout
• All employees should receive training and in this case they should know everything related to RoomMate. It creates ownership, commitment and changes to routines
• In connection with start-up and testing, they have failed to draw up a separate procedure, which means that you are bound by what is written. It ensures ownership and renders the technology harmless

Gains the hospital has experienced so far

• The hospital has saved money by having fewer employees at night
• The patients are left in peace and sleep better. Especially important for recuperating after functional decline or dementia. This can shorten the length of stay
• The night watchmen who work alone experience less stress with notifications by phone
• Less active supervision
• Not had a fall for 3 months
• Increased patient safety
• Safety for the patient and relatives
• Better utilization of resources
• Creates peace of mind for other tasks
• The focus on the risk of falling has become much greater after RoomMate, and it is assessed straight away

Involvement is a key factor

The most important experience that the hospital has gained is the importance of involvement. The department managers involved all employees early on, and ensured that they learned all functions. This led to both commitment to the project and the solution, and ensures that everyone can carry out the tasks.

The department involves relatives before RoomMate is put into use, and reassures them of both what the technology entails and what new routines the hospital is now trying out to improve patient safety. Through good information about how it works in practice, relatives gain confidence in the measure, which in turn can reassure the patient.

Focus on quality and workflow

The department has not focused on finances, but on the quality of the service and changing the workflow. They have considered and tried several measures, beyond welfare technology, including booster cushions in recliners. Nevertheless, it is the change in the work routines that RoomMate has created, which has provided the most value to the department - for healthcare personnel, patients and relatives. Welfare technology does not destroy the clinical view – it will be an important measure in the growing age demographic.

More time for follow-up

- Perhaps the most important thing that RoomMate has contributed to is that patients who need sleep and rest can now get it without being disturbed by supervision. This makes the nursing staff feel at night that they have done a better job, says Ingrid Elisabeth Aukrust, project manager Fremtidens patientroom and specialist developer Geriatrics Health Nord Trøndelag. Ingrid also works on medical bedside duty at Levanger Hospital.

- The RoomMate technology has created more peace and flow, and has also given more time for follow-up of the sickest. Not having to experience patient injury in the event of a fall increases job satisfaction among employees, says Ingrid. Ingrid also believes that it is more invasive and unsettling for the patient that someone sits and follows them all night than a monitor.

- 3 months without falls has also increased the professional pride of the carers, we are now working with a higher professional focus on fall prevention, concludes Ingrid.