Hospitals are facing a tough challenge.
The shortage of nurses and support staff is putting immense pressure on healthcare systems and impacting patient safety.
With demand for healthcare workers far outpacing supply, many hospitals are struggling to fill roles, especially for monitoring at-risk patients.
Take St. Luke’s Hospital in Duluth, Minnesota, for example.
Back in 2018, they had 15.9 full-time staff dedicated to one-on-one patient sitting. While this approach ensured safety, it was expensive and required a lot of resources.
Fast forward to today, and hospitals are finding smarter ways to handle these challenges.
Virtual sitter technology is one such solution. It uses cameras and microphones to monitor patients remotely.
With just one trained observer, hospitals can oversee multiple patients at once, freeing up nursing staff for other critical tasks.
St. Luke’s implemented virtual sitters in 2021 and saw incredible results.
By 2023, they had reduced one-on-one sitters by 73% in some units and saved over $1.5 million annually.
They also achieved the lowest patient fall rate in Minnesota.
This blog explores how virtual sitters can help hospitals, like yours, achieve similar success.
The Challenges of Traditional Patient Sitting
Traditional patient sitting, where one staff member monitors a single patient in person, presents several key challenges:
1. Financial Strain
- Maintaining one-to-one sitter ratios is expensive.
- Hospitals must cover wages, benefits, and potential overtime for sitters.
2. Impact on Staff
- In-person sitting can feel repetitive and isolating, leading to burnout.
- High turnover rates make it difficult to find and retain qualified sitters.
- Staffing shortages create a vicious cycle, increasing pressure on existing employees.
3. Inefficient Use of Skilled Professionals
- Nurses and other trained staff are often reassigned to sitter duties.
- This reduces their ability to focus on specialized patient care.
- It leads to delays in treatment and higher workloads for the rest of the team, ultimately impacting patient experiences.
How St. Luke’s Revolutionized Patient Safety with Virtual Sitters: A $1.5 Million Success Story
St. Luke’s, a health system in Duluth, Minnesota, faced a challenge that many hospitals know too well—staff shortages.
They struggled to find and keep enough sitters to monitor at-risk patients one-on-one. The costs of maintaining this traditional approach were also rising, averaging 15.9 full-time sitters before 2021.
To tackle these issues, St. Luke’s turned to virtual care technology. The results were transformative, leading to better patient safety and saving over $1.5 million in 2023.
Here’s how they did it:
1. Reduced Reliance on One-to-One Sitters
Virtual sitters allowed one observer to monitor multiple patients at once.
- In 2023, they reduced in-person sitter positions by 73% in some units.
- They shifted to 39.7 virtual sitter roles, compared to just 8.8 for one-to-one sitters.
This change significantly cut costs while maintaining effective patient monitoring.
2. Improved Monitoring Efficiency
St. Luke’s adopted a two-person virtual monitoring model.
- One staff member observed patients on video monitors.
- Another conducted rounds to support patients and staff on-site.
This setup ensured patient safety, minimized monitor fatigue, and made the best use of staff time.
3. Fewer Patient Incidents
The virtual sitter program has been a game-changer for fall prevention.
- St. Luke’s prevents about 529 falls each month.
- In 2023, they achieved the lowest fall rate in Minnesota for the third quarter.
This proactive approach avoided costs linked to injuries, extended hospital stays, and legal risks.
The Benefits of Virtual Sitter Solutions
Virtual sitter solutions are changing how hospitals manage patient safety. By using video and audio technology, they allow trained observers to monitor multiple patients from one location. This innovative approach comes with several key benefits:
1. Improved Patient Safety
Virtual sitters help prevent falls and other incidents. Cameras and microphones capture live feeds from patient rooms, which sitters monitor remotely.
- Sitters can interact with patients through two-way audio, providing reassurance or guidance.
- They can act quickly to stop patients from getting out of bed unassisted, avoiding potential falls.
For example, St. Luke’s Hospital in Minnesota reported its lowest fall rate in the state after implementing virtual sitters, preventing around 529 falls every month.
2. Significant Cost Savings
Hospitals save money by reducing the need for one-to-one sitters.
- St. Luke’s saved over $1.5 million annually with virtual sitters.
- Lee Health saved $4.7 million in 2023 after expanding its virtual sitter program.
These savings help hospitals manage rising costs and invest in other critical areas.
3. Optimized Staffing
Virtual sitters free up skilled staff for more specialized tasks.
- Nurses can focus on direct patient care instead of sitter duties.
- This improves efficiency and enhances staff satisfaction.
For instance, virtual sitters at UMass Memorial Health intervene an average of 8,000 times per month, helping prevent adverse events like self-harm or violence.
Can Your Hospital Achieve the Same Success with Virtual Sitters?
The inspiring success stories of hospitals like St. Luke’s show how remote patient monitoring programs can enhance patient safety and reduce costs.
While the benefits are clear, implementing such a program takes thoughtful planning. Here’s what your hospital should consider before starting:
6 Easy Steps to Start a Virtual Sitters Program for Your Hospital
Hospitals today face growing challenges like staff shortages and rising patient needs. Virtual sitters platform can be a game-changer, improving patient safety and making better use of resources. Here’s how to start:
1. Understand Your Needs and Goals
Ask yourself, what problem are you solving? Is it preventing patient falls, supporting behavioral health needs, or easing the workload on nurses? Clear goals will help you choose the right tools and workflows.
2. Analyze Costs and Savings
Look at the big picture. What will the technology, training, and setup cost? Compare this with the money you’ll save by needing fewer in-person sitters and avoiding costly incidents like patient falls.
For example, St. Luke’s saved $1.5 million in a year with their virtual sitter program, while Lee Health saved $4.7 million in 2023.
3. Check Technology Readiness
Choose a platform that fits your needs. Look for features like high-quality video, simple controls, and EHR integration. Make sure your hospital’s tech setup—Wi-Fi, bandwidth, and network reliability—is ready to handle the system.
4. Train Your Team
Everyone involved needs to be on the same page. Train virtual sitters on how to use the system and handle alerts. Teach nursing staff how to work with virtual sitters effectively. Good training ensures the program runs smoothly.
5. Start Small, Then Expand
Test the program in one department first. Monitor results like fall rates and staff satisfaction. Use the data to fine-tune processes. If the pilot is successful, slowly roll it out across the hospital.
6. Partner with Experts
Don’t try to do everything alone. Work with experienced healthcare IT partners who can guide you through the process.
They’ll provide the necessary technology, training, and support to make your virtual sitter program a success. Partnering with experts can save time, reduce risks, and ensure smooth implementation.
