According to a recent study, using Smart Bed Technology to encourage compliance to patient positioning protocols had a key impact on the reduction and prevention of pressure ulcers among residents of long-term care centers.

The peer-reviewed study, titled, “The Efficacy of Goodmark Medical’s Solution Using the BAM Labs Smart Bed Technology in the Prevention of Pressure” recently appeared in the Journal of Aging Science.  The Signature Research Institute conducted the study, which was written by Jeff A. Beaty, LMSW, MSHA, DHEd, and Timothy M. Sauer, PhD.

For a duration of 12 weeks, a company news release reports that 94 residents at three long-term centers in Kentucky participated in the study. The study’s goals centered on assessing the impact of every 2-hour repositioning schedule on the development of pressure ulcers, and measure the effectiveness of using BAM Lab’s Smart Bed Technology to encourage compliance to that schedule by measuring and validating the repositioning events.

The results suggest an 85.4% decrease in new pressure ulcer development during the 12-week period, and a 50% decrease in overall number of pressure ulcers. Additionally, the release states that average compliance with 2-hour turn intervals increased by 35% during the course of the study.

Richard Rifredi, co-founder and CEO, BAM Labs, states, “We are very proud to have worked with our partners Goodmark Medical and Signature HealthCARE on this breakthrough research. They strongly share our commitment to using innovative technology to transform healthcare for the benefit of patients and society overall.”

Source(s): BAM Labs, Goodmark Medical