VitalPAD: an Intelligent Monitoring and Communication Device to Optimize Safety in the PICU; Project Phases 1 (System Development) and 2 (Prototype Evaluation)

1. Purpose

Critically ill patients in the intensive care unit (ICU) need constant monitoring by nurses, respiratory therapists, and physicians. To make decisions and plan therapies, these clinicians must observe and reconcile a vast array of information originating from devices located at the bedsides of multiple patients. Their efforts are hindered by: information being physically limited to the bedside; information overload from the number of devices and separate displays; lack of integration and interaction between devices; displays which fail to present information in a way that is easy to understand; alarm fatigue; lacking historical data or clinical context to support clinical decision making; difficulty locating a team member for consultation or to provide an extra pair of hands

This project aims to integrate information from multiple monitoring and therapy devices (multi-parameter monitor, infusion pumps, mechanical ventilator) onto one application, the VitalPAD, hosted on a mobile device (tablet or smartphone). The VitalPAD will process information from multiple bedside monitors in an intelligent decision-support system, and provide an intuitive display of vital signs information, alerts and reminders to ICU healthcare team members.

Assigning priority of care and early detection of deterioration of critically ill patients represents an enormous source of preventable morbidity, mortality and cost. Enhanced efficiency in patient monitoring can help reduce the time to detection of critical conditions and improve priority assignment, contributing to enhanced patient safety.

The goal of this project is to demonstrate that a mobile application (VitalPAD) can provide dynamic, meaningful, integrated information to intensive care clinicians in real-time. (also see above) 2. Hypothesis / Aims