Singapore (Commonwealth Union)_ As part of its smart remote health monitoring system, Singapore’s Changi General Hospital is currently researching and verifying AI algorithms to forecast the possibility of patient deterioration. The hospital has partnered with the A*STAR-medtech spinoff company Respiree to build a remote patient monitoring (RPM) system. It is one of the initiatives that CGH, Respiree, and A*STAR are collaborating on, with funding from the National Research Foundation Singapore totaling approximately $950,000.
The RPM system includes a sensor worn by patients to monitor their vital signs. It consists of a sensor patch and a finger oximeter that are connected to a central system or dashboard at the workstation of the nurses, allowing them to monitor patients’ health at any time. At present, the system tracks respiratory rate, oxygen saturation, and heart rate, and is able to alert any abnormal variations in these crucial parameters.
The accuracy and utility of the wearable sensor have been validated in two trials using hospitalized patients with respiratory illnesses and COVID-19. The sensor’s performance for measuring respiratory rate has fulfilled the requirements of the United States Food and Drug Administration. Moreover, a temperature sensing feature will be added to the sensor shortly after its approval. In addition to creating predictive algorithms, CGH also aims to monitor patients’ vital signs at home after discharge to ensure continuity of treatment in the community environment.
Monitoring vital signs can take up to three minutes per patient on an average 40-bed general ward. CGH hopes to shorten this time by implementing an intelligent monitoring system that enables nurses to devote more time to patient care or other crucial activities. It was highlighted that this technology has the potential to save up to 12 hours per day on vital sign monitoring. In addition to saving time, the RPM system offers doctors early notice of impending patient deterioration, allowing early intervention.
