A  completely wireless hospital bed was recently launched - designed designed to help reduce in-hospital patient falls at all acuity levels, improve nurse workflow efficiencies and safety, and help lower hospital costs, according to an article on the HIT Consultant website.

Research has found  that 97 percent of nurses report having encountered a patient having difficulty getting out of a hospital bed. Seventy-five  percent of nurses report having encountered a situation where a patient has hurt themselves in the effort.

The new bed has intuitive patient positioning and bed alarms as well as ergonomic side rails and can be equipped with fully wireless features.

The bed can also be configured with a motorized drive, a motorcycle throttle-like touch handle that deploys the central fifth wheel to make moving patients easier.

Similar smart-bed technology at University Hospital in Augusta, Ga., is helping to prevent falls and improve patient safety, according to an article. on the Augusta Chronicle website.

If a nurse walks away from a patient bed without setting the brake, she will hear, “Brake not set.” The bed alarm  can notify her if a patient is getting out of bed, and will tell the patient “Please don’t get up” if they do.

The new beds have safety features, such as a motion-activated night light and can connect with the hospital’s call system so that alerts go directly to a nurse’s smart phone. 

Read the full HIT Consultant article.