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 It comes as a surprise to some to learn that there has never been a device that has been able to help reduce falls in hospital patients or the high-risk elderly, despite the considerable social and economic costs of falls. (Refs 1,2,3.)
"At this time, there is insufficient evidence regarding the effectiveness of bed alarms in preventing falls in elderly patients to recommend the practice.”
-- DHHS Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, "Making Health Care Safer: A Critical Analysis of Patient Safety Practices," 2001.
"Considering the cost associated with purchase of bed alarms, with no evidence of their benefit, it is unclear why these devices continue to be used as a fall prevention intervention."
-- University of Iowa Gerontological Nursing Interventions Research Center, "Falls Prevention for Older Adults," 2004.
Until now. FallSaver is a new wireless device that has been shown in clinical trials (Refs 4, 5) to be effective in:
• reliably identifying who is at high risk of falling by serving as an accurate fall assessment tool
• allowing staff adequate time to intervene in a high-fall-risk situation, reducing falls and associated injuries
• monitoring likely patient activity in the bed, bathroom, wheelchair, and throughout the facility
The FallSaver "patch" is about the size of a band-aid attached to the patient's thigh. When the patient begins to stand, it sends a signal to an in-room receiver that both alerts the patient to sit down, and also lets the caregiver know the patient is in need of assistance (either by the alarm or by optional connection to the nurse call system). Besides its effectiveness in helping staff to significantly reduce falls and related injuries, it has the following advantages:
• not generating false or nuisance alarms (it does not send an alarm unless the patient is trying to stand);
• being small and unobtrusive (and thus maintains patient dignity and acceptance); and
• its relatively low cost is actually a negative cost once cost savings from reduced falls are considered.
***FallSaver is not intended to detect a fall...we want to help prevent the fall.***
System Description and Summary of Key Features 
• A discrete, unobtrusive non-restraint device that enjoys high patient and staff acceptance and compliance
• Wireless device for use in hospitals, rehab units, SNFs, assisted living residences, adult family homes, and home use
• Plug into a standard electrical outlet, or attach to a wheelchair and operate off the rechargeable battery
• The only device in the published literature that has been proven to be associated with reduced falls
• Intended for those who should not ambulate without assistance
• Reduces costs of fall-related injuries and staff time responding to falls and false alarms
• Assists compliance with Joint Commission requirements for fall assessment and risk reduction
• Benefits facility QI ratings and other measures of patient care
• Provides for potential reductions in CGL insurance premiums
There are two key parts to the FallSaver system: the transmitter "patch" and the receiver "alarm."
Transmitter Patch 
• Activated when patient's leg becomes weight-bearing
• Battery-operated printed circuit board surrounded by hospital adhesive foam ~2.5"x4"
• Attached to patient's thigh wherever comfortable for patient (generally posterior)
• Wirelessly transmits signal that patient is in need of assistance
• Alarm shuts off when patient sits down again
• No false alarms as demonstrated in clinical trials
• Approved for 29 days continuous application; generally replaced at 7-10 days
• No adverse skin reaction in 91% of elderly patients after 21 days' application
• Waterproof, shockproof; worn while showering or bathing
• Can be used in MRI, CT Scan, and X-ray machines
• Useful for dementia patients (respond well to alarm, infrequent picking behavior)
• Staff-activated battery allows extended shelf life
• Used patches can be returned to manufacturer for parts recovery
• Contains no mercury or latex; no special disposal requirements
Receiver Alarm 
• In-room receiver emits alarm reminding patient not to get up unassisted
• Compatible with most existing nurse call systems (NCS)
• "Snooze" button deactivates alarm when staff is assisting patient with standing
• Manual or automatic reactivation of snooze button
• Range of alarm is about 100 feet from transmitter, through doors and walls
• Rechargeable battery allows receiver to be attached to wheelchair and follow patient
• Low battery light warns when patch needs to be replaced
Electromagnetic Interference (EMI) UPDATE
"Electromagnetic
Interference From Radiofrequency Identification Inducing Potentially
Hazardous Incidents in Critical Care Medical Equipment," Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) 299(24):2884-2990
As you may have seen from the above article which appeared in the June 25, 2008, issue of JAMA, there is an increasing awareness that radiofrequency identification devices and other tracking devices can interfere with medical devices, often seriously. FallSaver has experienced this also in recent months, with electromagnetic interference with FallSaver being reported at various facilities using certain common tracking technologies such as Wanderguard, CodeAlert, RF Technologies, and others. While the permanent solution is for RFID companies to design their products to ensure there will be no interference with other devices -- particularly in a health care setting -- the short-term solution is for FallSaver to add additional shielding to protect against the range of frequencies being used by these tracking technologies. Any facility experiencing interference with FallSaver (which manifests itself as chirping noises without any patient movement) should contact us to exchange their FallSaver device for a new shielded device. Those facilities not using RFID technologies that tend to interfere with medical devices will not be affected.
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