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This Award is in recognition of Nihon Kohden's pioneering design for thePrefense(TM) Early Detection and Notification System(TM) that offers hospitalsa cost-effective method to save lives and reduce ICU readmissions whilesignificantly improving workflow.
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Patient safety and workflow efficiency are two areas where hospitals facethe most limiting challenges. The fact that nearly 15 million instances ofmedical harm occur in the U.S. each year drove the Institute for HealthcareImprovement (IHI) to initiate the highly successful 100,000 Lives Campaign in2004 and the subsequent 5 Million Lives Campaign during the period of December2006 to December 2008.
Of the 12 major interventions the IHI campaign promotes to reduce harm inhospitals, the top one is the deployment of Rapid Response Teams at the firstsign of patient health decline. In response, Nihon Kohden developed the NTXtelemetry transmitter and the Prefense Early Detection and Notificationsystem.
Typically, telemetry transmitters are used in lower acuity levels due totheir limited number of monitored parameters. NTX has additional parametersthat greatly enhance the monitoring capabilities even in the criticalpatients. In addition to ECG and SpO2, the NTX measures respiration, givingthe caregiver a quick indicator of the patient's entering into respiratorydistress. Further, the NTX measures non-invasive blood pressure (NIBP), thusgiving mobility to patients whose blood pressure needs constant monitoring.
"Designed to improve the response rate and speed of the Rapid ResponseTeams, the Prefense system is a combination of Nihon Kohden's innovative NTXtechnology and low acuity central station interface with continuous trendanalysis and notification," notes Frost & Sullivan Research Analyst MikeArani.
The wireless system continuously monitors four of the seven criticalparameters, including heart rate, blood pressure, oxygen saturation, andrespiration, extending its layer of protection beyond traditional monitoringunits by wirelessly monitoring freely ambulating patients on post surgical andmedical/surgical floors.
Unlike wireless bedside monitors utilized in higher acuity wards, the NTXin the heart of the Prefense system offers the extended critical carecapabilities of a wireless bedside monitor while providing the extra mobility(bed-free) and flexibility of telemetry transmitters, at a fraction of thecost. Powered by only 3 alkaline AA batteries and wrapped comfortably aroundan ambulatory patient's arm, the NTX system continuously checks for keychanges in vital signs that could be potential precursors for acute risks.
"Triggered by any number of key changes or a clinician's decision, thePrefense system can immediately activate the Rapid Response Team," continuesArani. "This On-Demand and quick notification system speeds up IHI suggestedinterventions and helps save more lives."
Nihon Kohden's commitment to the enhancement of patient care resonatesthrough its innovative products and solutions. By providing consumers withpremium and ground-breaking solutions at competitive prices, Nihon Kohden wasable to further increase its market share in the North American multiparameterpatient monitoring market, a direct result of the company's successful marketstrategies.
In appreciation of the company's enhanced status and innovative productand solutions, particularly in regard to the Prefense system, Frost & Sullivanis proud to present Nihon Kohden with the 2008 Product Innovation Award in theNorth American hospital wireless patient monitoring market.
Each year, Frost & Sullivan presents this Award to the company that hasdemo
