Broadmoor Mental Health Hospital Completes Successful Trial of Oxecam Patient Safety Monitoring Software

Oxehealth, the company that turns cameras into health monitors, has carried out the world's first health monitoring trial with secure psychiatric patients, using contactless camera based technology at Broadmoor High Secure Psychiatric Hospital.


Heart and breathing rate monitoring of non-patient volunteer during Broadmoor Hospital trials
Oxehealth today announced that it has completed a successful trial of its Oxecam patient safety monitoring software at Broadmoor Mental Health Hospital.
The trial monitored seven patient volunteers overnight and captured over 180 hours of data using the technology. Collaborating closely with Broadmoor's clinicians, Oxehealth demonstrated not only that the technology can monitor the safety and health of the patients by identifying patients' movement, heart rate and breathing rate, but that it does so with medical grade accuracy.
In line with other large field tests, the Oxecam software correctly reported patients' breathing rate to within 2 breaths per minute 94% of the time and correctly identified patients as safe with 99.8% accuracy. Oxecam took on average just 3.6 seconds to acquire vital signs and was as accurate at acquiring breathing rate when the patients had entirely concealed themselves, under a blanket.
Staff working at Broadmoor Hospital and in other mental health environments are currently required to check on patients by making periodic visual observations. However, these checks disturb the patient, are often difficult to perform, especially at night, and can be subject to inconsistencies. Oxecam Video Analytics address this challenge by using sophisticated algorithms to process video images and alert staff whenever the patient appears to be at risk. By producing alerts Oxecam Video Analytics solution enables staff to monitor patient health without having to view a live video feed: therefore patients' privacy and dignity are better safeguarded.
Oxecam provides the opportunity to: reduce disturbance to patient sleep, reduce risk of planned violence to staff, alert staff to intervene between rounds, reduce cost of incidents of self-harm and fundamentally improve patient care. Oxecam Medical Analytics extends this capability and for the first time gives clinicians access to continuous heart and breathing rate data with which to personalise and refine patient treatment.
Dr Rob Bates, Clinical Director of Broadmoor Hospital commented, "We were very pleased with the results of the trial and we think Oxehealth's technology could really support patient care. This trial is a powerful demonstration of Broadmoor Hospital's commitment to continually improving patient safety and care and our dedication to being world leaders in mental health practice and treatment innovation."
Jonathan Chevallier, CEO Oxehealth said, "I am delighted with how Oxehealth and Broadmoor Hospital have worked together to achieve a world first; monitoring the health of psychiatric patients with cameras in a secure room setting. This project has demonstrated the potential of the Oxecam technology to improve patient safety, treatment outcomes and well-being and to free up staff time to perform more patient care activities. We are now working hard on the first production release of the Oxecam and look forward to deploying this, not just into mental health but also to detention environments in the police and elsewhere."
Staff at Broadmoor believe the technology could significantly enhance safety and care of patients:
"If implemented it would mean patients would no longer need to be disturbed by overnight checks and if physically unwell and in need of urgent medical assistance this would immediately be picked up", said a Senior House Officer.
"Patients will be able to sleep anywhere in their rooms without being disturbed to check their breathing", according to a Team Leader.
Oxehealth continues to work to bring to market camera solutions, which assist mental health professionals in keeping patients safe and improving patient care. Oxehealth's first commercially available camera solutions are due for commercial launch in 2017. They will help to manage safety risks to patients (for example through self-harm, treatment complications or natural causes) and to assist clinicians in taking medical observations of breathing and heart rate at times when they currently cannot do so without disturbing the patient or risking harm to their staff.
To see a demo of the Oxecam in action, incorporating one of our volunteers, click here.
Learn more about Oxehealth's work in secure rooms including mental health here, or how camera makers can partner with us to create solutions around our software here.