AI to monitor patients, screen vital parameters at Kolkata private hospitals

Kolkata: At least two private hospitals in the city have either installed or are in the process of introducing artificial intelligence-powered remote monitoring system for every patient that will screen multiple vital parameters like heart rate, respiration rate, blood pressure, SPO2 levels or oxygen saturation and temperature. It also monitors ECG and issues real-time alerts to health workers across the hospital in case a patient suffers or is showing signs of deterioration. This will not only help reduce reaction time and save lives but will also eliminate human errors or lapses in detecting early warning signs, say the hospitals.

Last week, Charnock Hospital launched an ‘enhanced patient care system’ under which every ward bed has been connected to an AI-powered remote monitoring and early warning system (EWS). It is a contactless sensor sheet placed below the patient’s mattress which captures the micro vibrations in the body. These are then interpreted into various metrics which are relayed on a dashboard which can be monitored by the nurses at the respective stations. “What makes it a game-changer is the fact that it can notice changes in the parameters and issue alerts on a real-time basis. This allows us to take steps before the patient’s parameters have reached or crossed the danger-mark,” said Nishant Agarwal, emergency consultant at Charnock.

The system uses AI-based ballistocardiography for contactless vital monitoring. “The patient is not connected to the device which can track and store data remotely through sensors. It then sends it to a central system from where it can be tracked by all healthcare personnel. In case none responds within a certain time, it starts sounding an alarm,” said Agarwal.

Narayana Hospitals that have 1,400 beds across its four units in Kolkata and Howrah, is ‘piloting AI-based systems and will implement them based on their dependability and benefits to patient care’. One of the AI initiatives is a contactless remote patient vitals monitoring and AI-based Early Warning System, according to Abhijit CP, director of Narayana Hospitals and Corporate Growth Initiatives, Narayana Health (East).

“The system will help capture blood pressure, respiratory rate, heart rate and SPO2. It helps in early intervention with timely alerts, enabling nurses to have more time for bedside care,” he said.

Manipal Hospital with four units in Kolkata and around 1,500 beds has a monitoring device in its Bengaluru unit which could be upgraded to an AI-powered system for its city units, too, said Manipal COO Karthik Rajagopal. “We have a monitoring device for ICU and step-down unit patients that screens vitals and issues early warnings. We are now in the process of developing an AI system that will be more sophisticated and efficient which could be used across all units of our hospitals,” said Rajagopal.

These initiatives aim to quicken diagnostics, reduce fatigue amongst healthcare providers and improve overall patient outcomes by leveraging power of AI, said Agarwal. “We have been successfully using it on a trial basis for two months now,” added Agarwal.