“One of the key complications resulting from opioid use in hospitalized patients is respiratory distress that can lead to ICU transfers and sadly, even death. Moreover, respiratory depression is a key risk factor across the healthcare continuum, from hospitals to skilled nursing facilities,” Michael Wong, JD, executive director of the Physician-Patient Alliance for Health & Safety, noted in a company statement at the time. “For this reason, all patients receiving opioids should be continuously electronically monitored, to help provide early detection of the risk of respiratory depression and enable timely intervention.”

In the May issue of Healthcare Business News Magazine, Halperin observed that, “an estimated 75 percent of hospital patients and more than 90 percent of post-acute care patients are manually monitored by healthcare professionals across the U.S. This means that well into the 21st century, general care patients only have their vital signs and other measurements checked once every 4-6 hours. It’s ironic, and sad, that today, doctors have less real-time data on their patients than healthy runners training for a marathon have on themselves, with the help of smartphones and wearables.”

Back to HCB News

Business Affairs Homepage