Camera-assisted nursing observation of restless patients in an acute care setting, a multi-method feasibility study.
Mette Geil Kollerup, Gitte Tolstrup, Birgitte Schantz Laursen
PMID 34672427WHAT IT FOUND
In an acute ward, nurses used phone-connected cameras to watch restless patients and generally accepted them as supplemental observation, while relatives generally reacted positively.
The study did not show the cameras reduced falls or adverse events.
Key findings
01Camera-assisted observation was tested with 44 patients aged 60-95 years.
02Of 34 staff who completed the survey, 22 fully agreed and 10 partly agreed that camera-assisted observation should be a possibility in the acute care ward.
03Nurses reported it could help them reach patients before some falls or catheter removals and adjust care to needs, but they said it could not replace personal presence.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
This was a feasibility study, not a controlled trial, so it cannot show that camera observation improved patient outcomes. Patients' and relatives' acceptability was assessed indirectly through nurses' notes and reports, not directly from patients or relatives. Two of three interviewers worked in the ward, which may have made nurses answer more positively. The survey did not enable statistical calculations. Patients with a psychiatric diagnosis, suicidal risk, or need for a sitter were excluded, so it does not address those groups. Nurses had to carry the phone while caring for other patients, which may not be workable on all wards.
Declared interests
External funding came from an independent public funder for purchasing and installing cameras, with no obligation to buy specific products. The project group included the nurse manager, the medical manager, two project nurses, and a nurse researcher.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that camera-assisted observation reduces falls, catheter removals, or other adverse events. This was a feasibility study of nurses' experiences and survey responses, not a trial that measured patient outcomes.