In the complex world of behavioral health, clinical staff are often referred to as the beating heart of every organization. They are on the front lines, working tirelessly to provide care and support to patients in need. However, the demands placed on these staff members can be overwhelming. Staffing shortages, high patient volumes, and systemic obstacles hinder their productivity and ability to deliver the best care, despite their dedication. Remote patient monitoring in behavioral health presents a promising solution, offering tools to alleviate these challenges by improving care delivery and enhancing efficiency. As Professor Dean Fathers, former chair of the NHS Behavioral Health Provider and a professor at Nottingham University Business School, highlighted in a recent webinar, staff in behavioral health are deeply committed to improving care. Integrating technologies like remote patient monitoring can empower them to overcome barriers and better support their patients.
One area where these challenges are especially pronounced is in patient rounding, a fundamental aspect of care in behavioral health settings. Rounding involves staff regularly checking on patients to ensure their safety and well-being, but this crucial task can be both time-consuming and disruptive. Given the moral and legal obligations to ensure patient safety, staff often find themselves tied up in frequent rounds, which ultimately reduces their ability to engage in other important activities. To address this issue and allow staff to continue providing high-quality care without compromising patient safety, technology has emerged as a key solution. One of the most promising advancements in this area is remote patient monitoring in behavioral health. A system designed specifically for behavioral health inpatient units, Oxevision, offers a way to address the challenges of rounding while improving productivity and safety.
The Top 3 Benefits of the Right Rounding Technology
In industries such as aerospace, automotive, and life sciences, technology has long been used to improve safety, productivity, and overall outcomes. The same principle applies to behavioral health care. As Professor Fathers explained, while ensuring patient safety is a top priority, it can ironically create a barrier to productivity. Traditional rounding systems, which require staff to physically check on patients at regular intervals, often interrupt patient care and sleep, leaving staff with limited time to attend to other critical needs. The result is a strained balance between safety and productivity.
The question becomes: How can safety and productivity be realigned so that they no longer conflict with each other? The answer lies in adopting technology that can enhance both safety and efficiency. This is where remote patient monitoring in behavioral health can play a pivotal role. Oxevision’s remote patient monitoring system provides real-time clinical insights, allowing staff to monitor patients without entering their rooms. By gathering secure, digital data, the system enables staff to observe patients remotely, minimizing disruptions to patient sleep and allowing for a more efficient rounding process.
The implementation of Oxevision significantly reduces the time staff spend on manual rounding, freeing up time for them to focus on other important tasks. Additionally, because the system provides real-time data and alerts, it allows staff to make informed decisions quickly, enhancing overall care and improving patient outcomes.
The Key Benefits: Higher Reliability, Improved Productivity, and Increased Safety
The introduction of Oxevision into behavioral health settings offers numerous benefits, but three stand out as particularly impactful: higher reliability, improved productivity, and increased safety.
Higher Reliability
By automating the rounding process and providing objective data, Oxevision significantly increases the reliability of patient monitoring. Traditional rounding systems, which rely on paper documentation and manual checks, are prone to errors and inconsistencies. Oxevision eliminates these issues by offering an automated system that provides accurate and timely information. This not only enhances the quality of care but also ensures that staff have the right data at their fingertips to make informed decisions.
Improved Productivity
One of the biggest challenges in behavioral health is the sheer amount of time spent on rounding. Traditional rounding practices can be exhausting for staff, leaving little time for other essential activities. With Oxevision, staff can complete their rounds more efficiently, reducing the time spent on manual checks. This allows staff to devote more time to patient care and other critical tasks. As Professor Fathers noted, by improving staff satisfaction and reducing the strain caused by excessive rounding, absenteeism decreases, and workplace attendance improves. In turn, this leads to better consistency in the relationships between staff and patients, fostering trust and creating a more supportive environment for both parties.
Increased Safety
Patient safety is a top priority in any healthcare setting, and behavioral health is no exception. Remote patient monitoring in behavioral health enhances safety by allowing staff to monitor patients remotely and intervene when necessary. By providing alerts based on patient activity, Oxevision enables staff to respond proactively to potential issues, such as sudden changes in behavior or signs of distress. This proactive approach to care ensures that patients receive the attention they need when they need it most, without unnecessarily disturbing their sleep or routine. The result is an environment that is both safer for patients and more manageable for staff.
Improving Staff Satisfaction and Reducing Burnout
One of the biggest challenges faced by staff in behavioral health settings is burnout. The constant pressure to deliver high-quality care, combined with the emotional and physical demands of the job, can lead to exhaustion and decreased job satisfaction. However, by using Oxevision, staff can experience a reduction in workload, leading to greater job satisfaction and less stress. This reduction in burnout has a ripple effect throughout the organization. As staff satisfaction increases, absenteeism decreases, and staff retention improves. This, in turn, leads to more consistent care for patients, which can have a positive impact on overall clinical outcomes.
As Professor Fathers emphasized, a satisfied staff is more likely to engage positively with patients, building trust and improving the quality of the care they provide. When staff feel supported and empowered by the technology they use, they are better able to deliver reliable, consistent, and compassionate care. This, in turn, creates a healthier work environment, which ultimately leads to better outcomes for both staff and patients.
The Proven Effectiveness of Oxevision
Oxevision is based on more than a decade of research that affirms its safety, efficacy, and reliability. In fact, the system has already been successfully implemented within the United Kingdom’s National Health Service (NHS), where it supports approximately 50% of behavioral health providers, covering nearly 20% of all beds. To date, Oxevision has supported over 35 million patient hours, demonstrating its effectiveness in real-world applications. The system’s integration into NHS facilities has proven that remote patient monitoring in behavioral health can have a profound impact on both patient care and staff efficiency.
Shifting the Paradigm of Patient Observation
Patient observation has always been a cornerstone of behavioral health care, but the way in which observations are conducted has largely remained unchanged for decades. Traditional methods of observation rely heavily on paper records, which can be easily lost, falsified, or overlooked. These paper-based systems can also be time-consuming, requiring staff to complete paperwork while also attending to patient needs.
Remote patient monitoring in behavioral health offers a more robust and reliable approach to patient observation. By using objective, real-time clinical data, Oxevision allows staff to monitor patients more efficiently and accurately. As Andy Mattin, a long-time nurse leader in the NHS and a nurse advisor to Oxehealth, explained, remote patient monitoring provides a much more reliable way to record nursing observations and mental health technician rounds. The technology ensures that staff are not reliant on paper documentation that could be lost or incomplete, and it allows for more accurate and proactive decision-making.
The use of objective clinical data during observation rounds enhances the overall quality of care by providing staff with actionable insights that can improve patient outcomes. By reducing the burden of traditional rounding, Oxevision also helps to minimize disruptions to patients’ sleep and daily routines, leading to a more comfortable and restorative experience for patients.
The Future of Behavioral Health Care
Oxevision represents a paradigm shift in how behavioral health organizations approach patient monitoring and rounding. By integrating advanced technology into everyday operations, organizations can improve both patient care and staff satisfaction. The system not only streamlines the observation process but also provides valuable insights that can enhance compliance, improve administrative functions, and reduce litigation costs.
The future of behavioral health care lies in leveraging technology to create more efficient, effective, and supportive care environments. With tools like Oxevision, staff can focus more on delivering high-quality care while minimizing the administrative burdens that often detract from patient interactions. By improving the efficiency and reliability of rounding, Oxevision creates a more sustainable care model that benefits both patients and staff.
In conclusion, the integration of remote patient monitoring in behavioral health is a powerful tool for improving both the quality of care and the well-being of staff in behavioral health organizations. By shifting the way patient observation is conducted, Oxevision enhances safety, productivity, and staff satisfaction. As more behavioral health organizations adopt this technology, the entire field stands to benefit from the increased efficiency, reliability, and effectiveness that it provides. The result is a better environment for patients to heal and recover, and a more sustainable, supportive workplace for staff to thrive.
