NOVA Virtual Patient Monitoring: Creative Use Cases Beyond Falls

Hospitals increasingly depend on virtual patient monitoring solutions — like NOVA — to help prevent patient falls and decrease the cost of 1:1 patient sitter programs. But NOVA’s virtual patient observation solutions can impact so many other staffing and patient care goals across the hospital.

We sat down with Ashley Kuruvilla, MSN, APRN, FNP-C — and NOVA Business Development Manager — to learn more about the innovative ways NOVA can be used.

How is NOVA typically used?

NOVA is traditionally used for monitoring patient safety related to falls, medical device tampering, elopement, and behavioral health issues.

I think NOVA’s versatility is under-appreciated. There are multiple device options — mobile options, portable wall mounts, and fixed solutions.

But there are many use cases where NOVA can be implemented in different areas to improve nursing care and workflow.

Can NOVA help during the pandemic?

Recently we've seen a shift with COVID, so now NOVA helps mitigate patient and staff transmission and lowering utilization of PPE.

We can do an evaluation virtually and see what the patient’s devices are showing without risking exposure to COVID-19.

How else can NOVA save lives?

One of the most unique cases that we've seen has been with one of our customers in monitoring patients' seizure activities. A customer reported that a monitor technician observed an epileptic event occurring with a patient. The monitor tech alerted nurses, who quickly intervened.

There are multiple areas and departments where the NOVA solution can be utilized, including neural units and ICUs. But specifically with a diagnosed seizure activity, NOVA can prevent injury to patients.

How can NOVA monitor technicians improve patient satisfaction?

We heard from another customer that one of their monitor technicians really connects with patients, even singing to them and playing games with them over the NOVA communication stations. The customer stated that a patient had actually written about this technician making his stay so pleasurable that he didn't want to leave!

We don't often think about the personal aspect and how being in the hospital can cause tremendous stress on patients. NOVA not only addresses the patients' immediate health and safety, but also gives hospitals a way to help improve patients’ mental health and approach care holistically.

How does NOVA help make nurses’ jobs easier?

I come from a healthcare background myself, so I'm familiar with the needs of healthcare professionals and the challenges that they face within the industry. I think the ability to utilize NOVA in almost any area of care and with almost any patient population provides nurses with much-needed support.

Implementing a solution like NOVA can help alleviate nurse burnout, staffing shortages, and financial burdens. There are so many issues with not having enough staff or nurses being overworked.

How does virtual patient monitoring help improve initiatives hospital-wide?

Financial burdens can arise from prolonged stays and legal fees related to inpatient falls and injuries. Over time, hospital sitter use adds up. All of that can be alleviated by NOVA.

But NOVA also improves workflows within the nursing field, improves patient care, and boosts patient satisfaction. It reduces patient and staff injuries. It also features data usage for quality and performance improvements that can be beneficial for administrative staff and quality improvement teams. It’s truly a flexible solution.

NOVA isn't just a single-use tool — virtual patient monitoring is not just for preventing falls. There are so many different areas where it can be utilized, with so many different use cases, in so many different departments, with such different patient populations.

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