A unique example of how NightWatch works within care facility Careander due to the brand-independent platform of IQ Messenger.
NightWatch is now being used by many care facilities in the Netherlands. The system helps detect potentially dangerous (clinically urgent) seizures during sleep. The system not only allows the patient to feel safer but also alleviates the caregiver’s burden. Another value add is that the system can also be linked to a call system providing additional benefits. Details of how this can be achieved are shared below.
Diverse alerts
It is crucial for supervisors or night staff to respond quickly to the diverse alerts sent out by NightWatch. Up to now, the diverse alerts the system sends out are, in most cases, transmitted to the nurse call system or a GSM-module through a simple relay contact. Supervising staff remotely receive an alert that either states that a potentially dangerous seizure is occurring or that a technical issue has arisen, subsequently, one would then check on the patient in question to see what is going on.
Communication with the nurse call system
In addition to transmitting diverse alerts via the relay, it is possible to use a so-called API (Application Programming Interface). In this case, NightWatch and a nurse call system, or platform, communicate through a network connection and accurate messages can be sent to the supervisors or the night staff with current measurements. Think of alerts that can differentiate between an alarm for a potential seizure and a technical problem. These messages are differentiated so that one would know the cause of the alert beforehand, hence the proper course of action can be given priority.
The IQ Messenger system
There are many platforms available that can communicate with NightWatch in this manner such as the prominent Dutch company IQ Messenger (IQM). They have a brand-independent software platform for alerts and communication which is medically certified, like NightWatch.
Their applications and integrations are aimed at delivering the right information, to the right person, at the right time and to the right system. NightWatch together with IQ Messenger recognises that medical equipment is not confined to the domain of hospitals and that other health sectors are equally important. As such, in collaboration with IQM, we have developed an integrated platform which enables technical and medical alerts to be transferred, allowing healthcare professional to be immediately informed when a medical alert is generated from NightWatch.
These alerts are delivered to smartphones where the content of the alert can be designed to fit the care process, i.e. the icon, the colour, ringtone, and text itself are determined by the healthcare provider. Recognisability should be a priority so that healthcare professionals immediately know what kind of alert it is.
Benefits of linking NightWatch to a nurse call system
NightWatch interface offers:
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More safety/security for the patient during sleep. Possible seizures could be detected, which triggers an alarm;
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Better healthcare with the help of more insight into patterns. The healthcare professional receives an alert including real-time information from the ECD to see which resident is present in which room;
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Alerts are handled by the right person on the preferred device;
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Smart combinations with third-party systems are possible, such as automatically opening the door of the room in case of a critical alert;
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Efficient healthcare where alerts contain precise measurements, the possibility to prioritise and link information to the recordings of a camera in the room.
In the future, care facilities will progressively use more medical equipment such as NightWatch. With our collaboration with the medical IQ Messenger software platform, we can ensure that patients and healthcare are supported, and safety during sleep optimally guaranteed.
Care facility Careander
Care facility Careander supports people with a mental disability or developmental delay. Careander has been using the apps and platform of IQ Messenger for a few years. Alongside AMR ICT, their system integrator, Careander has introduced smartphones for healthcare, combined with smart sensors. These cameras detect movement and sound and enable nurses/healthcare professionals to keep virtual nightwatch.
Last year, care facility Careander tasked IQM with developing an API for NightWatch, which is now globally available for everyone. AMR ICT has implemented this API. This has made Careander the first care facility in the Netherlands to have a working link between NightWatch and the IQM platform. Which is unique!
Due to the addition of NightWatch epilepsy detection to the IQ Messenger platform of Careander, the alarms can be handled more tactfully and discretely because of the link to the cameras and the call system. This is safer for the patient since it allows immediate and detailed insight into the alarm, which can be given the proper priority it needs. The situation in the patient’s room is evident which leads to proper care. Aside from that the entire alarm chain is safeguarded and documented.
Experiences of the link
ICT Administrator Careander: “We have given the assignment for the integration to keep the alarms simple for the caregivers. With this, we simultaneously secure the alarm. Previously, Nightwatch worked as a standalone, which is fine for home situations, but inside of a large care facility, the function is limited. Now, the night staff does not only receive a general alert but a precise indication of what is going on. That way, the proper course of action can be determined.”
“Unburdening healthcare is our mission. By implementing the link between NightWatch and IQ Messenger, it’s safer for the patient, because the alarm is immediately weighed and valued. Moreover, healthcare professionals experience more comfort, because they can administer proper care.”
AMR ICT
A personal caregiver at Careander: “We are using a NightWatch with one of my patients. It’s a very nice, reliable, and convenient system and it’s not a bother for the patient. Namely, putting it around his upper arm is painless. The big benefit of NightWatch is that it can be linked to a nurse call system. Because of this, we receive an alert on a phone if the patient is having a possible seizure.”
A personal caregiver at Careander: “With NightWatch you get credentials, allowing you to see the collected data online. This could give you more insight into the type of seizures. We, as caregivers, the patient, and the family, are very happy with NightWatch and definitely recommend it!”
“Being able to distinguish alarm types is crucial for the proper course of action and with that the safety of the residents. A low battery or the detection of a possible seizure, that’s quite a difference.”
IQ Messenger
“It’s an amazing cooperation between 4 different organizations that are very active in healthcare, each their own expertise. Together, we take a big step forward!”
LivAssured (NightWatch)