title: Using continuous motion monitoring technology to determine patient's risk for development of pressure ulcers.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To perform initial validation of a continuous motion monitoring technology that can potentially be used as a risk assessment tool to determine risk for developing pressure ulcers (PUs).
  
  
  METHODS
  We have used the EverOn system (Earlysense LTD, Ramat Gan, Israel) as a bed movement and activity monitor. The EverOn is a contactless continuous measurement system based on a piezoelectric sensor that is placed under the patient's mattress. The study was a noninterventional study performed in 2 medical departments in 2 medical centers. Recorded movement data from enrolled patients were retrospectively analyzed, and patients were assigned a motion level score. Motion scores for the first night of hospitalization were correlated with the Norton scale as calculated per patient on admission.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Overall, 116 patients were included in the study from the 2 sites. Motion score was significantly different between the PU risk groups as determined by the Norton scale (10.7 ± 6.2 for low, 5.4 ± 4.9 for intermediate, and 1.6 ± 3.2 for high risk; P < 0.001). Using the Norton scale as a gold standard to define high risk for developing PU (≤14), the sensitivity of the motion score was 85%, and the specificity was 93%. With regard to individual risk components, we found that activity, mobility, physical condition, and incontinence correlated highly with motion level.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The high correlation between the EverOn motion score and the calculated Norton scale indicates the potential of this technology to serve as a risk assessment tool for the development of PUs.
authors.affiliation: Division of General Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA. ezimlichman@partners.org
authors.forename: Eyal
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Zimlichman
authors.forename: Zvika
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Shinar
authors.forename: Ronen
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Rozenblum
authors.forename: Shiraz
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Levkovich
authors.forename: Sarit
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Skiano
authors.forename: Martine
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Szyper-Kravitz
authors.forename: Arie
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Altman
authors.forename: Howard
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Amital
authors.forename: Yehuda
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Shoenfeld
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D015992:Body Mass Index; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009068:Movement; D003668:Pressure Ulcer / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D018570:Risk Assessment / Q000379:methods*; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric