Corona Update: SURGE CAPACITY SOLUTIONS – The mobi is a mobile headwall (equipment consolidator) that can be set up in any space that has an electrical outlet: next to a chair, a bed, a cot in a hallway, a cafeteria, or anywhere patients need to be located. Click here for more information.

Tag: medical mobility solutions

Solutions for Early Patient Mobility

Posted on by Steve Villanueva

Early Patient Ambulation: What Works Best

Solutions for early patient mobility. As far back as 1949, Dr. D.J. Leithauser wrote that: Ten years ago early ambulation was considered a “crackpot” idea. Today it is recognized and is rapidly approaching a “must” procedure following surgical operation. Seventy years later, Doctors, nurses, and administrators all agree that early patient mobility has tremendously beneficial outcomes, but making sure that early mobility happens requires resources, education, organization, and strategic coordination. How have hospitals and units successfully improved their early patient mobility rates?  The simplest answer is to increase staff numbers, but there are a variety of more cost-effective measures that have helped to dramatically improve early mobility outcomes.

Key Facts:

Improve Mobility: Equipment, Patient Awareness, Staff Efficiency, & Hospital Culture

Steps can be taken to improve efficient implementation of early mobility on all four fronts:

EQUIPMENT

  • It is important for hospitals to prioritize interventions that allow patient ambulation with less staff involvement. (Murphy 2011)
  • The use of an ambulation platform improves the number of ambulation attempts, distance of ambulation, and willingness of patients to attempt ambulation (assisted and unassisted), without increased risk of falls. (Henecke 2015)
  • The use of an IV pole walker improves both patient and nurse satisfaction during early patient mobilization of post-surgical patients. (Nesbitt 2012)

PATIENT AWARENESS & EDUCATION

  • The benefits of early mobility include better coordination and balance, as well as greater patient independence. (Morris 2010)
  • When patients are informed about the benefits of early ambulation before undergoing surgery, patients become more proactive about seeking opportunities for early mobilization after surgery. (Kibler 2012)

STAFF EFFECIENCY

  • Patients who have access to an ambulation platform have improved mobility outcomes and improved length of stay with fewer nurses and other staff required to implement ambulation. Nurses report that ambulation with an apparatus is easier for both staff and patients. (Henecke 2015)
  • Nurses report that early mobilization improves patient independence and preserves patient dignity, which reduces the number of patient requests for assistance and decreases staff workload. (Hoyer 2015)

MOBILITY AS A HOSPITAL CULTURE

  • Hospital-wide protocols and multidisciplinary teams dedicated to coordinating early mobility activities are important for improving ICU pediatric patient outcomes. (Piva 2019)
  • Unit culture (established goals and protocols, coordinated effort) is a critical factor that determines whether nurses will implement patient mobility to the full extent of each nurse’s training and ability. (Krupp 2019)
  • Incorporating early mobilization goals and achievements in electronic health records improves early mobilization coordination and improves early mobilization outcomes. The time required to achieve mobilization and the average length of stay decreased significantly, and the average patient ventilation time was decreased by 27 hours. (Anderson 2018)

Click here for full article

Learn more about Livengood Medical Mobi Solutions.

Barriers to Patient Mobility

Posted on by Steve Villanueva

Patient Ambulation

Barriers to patient mobility. Most medical practitioners are keenly aware of the benefits of early mobility—it improves patient recovery times, lowers the risk of complications, and shortens overall length of stay. So why has it been so difficult to implement? Why have there been so many barriers to patient mobility? The most common barriers to patient mobility can be grouped in four categories: equipment, patient availability, staff availability, and unit planning.

Why Aren’t Patients Being Mobilized

Key Facts:

Barriers to patient mobility include:

EQUIPMENT

  • In a survey of 500 U.S. ICUs, the number one listed barrier to early mobility was a lack of appropriate equipment. (Bakhru 2015)
  • If key pieces of mobility equipment (mobility platforms, ceiling lifts, etc.) are not readily available, multiple assistants will be required to support the patient, and mobility may be deferred due to staff unavailability. (Krupp 2019)

PATIENT AVAILABILITY

  • Patients who are called away for unscheduled procedures and tests aren’t present in the ward where nurses and physical therapists can implement early mobility.

STAFF AVAILABILITY

  • Understaffing physical therapists decreases the frequency and length of early patient mobilization. (Johnson 2019)
  • In an extensive study of community and academic hospitals, researchers determined that the greatest barrier to early patient mobility was the fear that “increasing mobilization of my inpatients will be more work for nurses.” Nurses directly reported that “they did not have enough time” to meet unit early mobilization goals (Hoyer 2015; Fontela 2018; Jolley 2014)

Click here for full article

Learn more about Livengood Medical Mobi Solutions.

June issue of JONA – Journal Of Nursing Administration

Posted on by Philip Crumpton

June Issue of JONA

Journal of Nursing Administration

Livengood Mobility Solutions Highlighted in JONA – Journal of Nursing Administration

June issue of JONA. We are pleased to announce that LIVENGOOD is highlighted in an article published in the June 2015 issue of JONA (The Journal of Nursing Administration). The article titled “Use of an Ambulation Platform Apparatus” addresses our joint study done with Medical Center of the Rockies discussing how The mobi reduced LOS and the number of Care Givers needed in each mobility event. We are very excited to be part of the solution for mobilizing patients.

Ambulation has proven to be an important part of recovery for medical-surgical patients. This study provides original research on the use of a platform apparatus for ambulation of patients on a medical-surgical unit. Outcomes included number of ambulation attempts, distance of ambulation, length of hospital stay, number of staff necessary to ambulate, and discharge destination. Compared with a control group, patients who had access to the ambulation platform apparatus had a shorter length of stay with fewer nurses and other staff needed to ambulate. Staff rated ambulation with the apparatus as easier than without and noted that patients were more willing to ambulate on their own with the ambulation platform apparatus.

Here is the link to the abstract.

Here is the link to the full study

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June JONA

Posted on by Philip Crumpton

June JONA.

2015 Journal of Nursing Administration (JONA)

June Jona. We are pleased to announce that LIVENGOOD will be highlighted in an article being published in the June 2015 issue of JONA (The Journal of Nursing Administration). The article titled “Use of an Ambulation Platform Apparatus” addresses our joint study done with Medical Center of the Rockies discussing how The mobi reduced LOS and the number of Care Givers needed in each mobility event. We are very excited to be part of the solution for mobilizing patients.

Ambulation has proven to be an important part of recovery for medical-surgical patients. This study provides original research on the use of a platform apparatus for ambulation of patients on a medical-surgical unit. Outcomes included number of ambulation attempts, distance of ambulation, length of hospital stay, number of staff necessary to ambulate, and discharge destination. Compared with a control group, patients who had access to the ambulation platform apparatus had a shorter length of stay with fewer nurses and other staff needed to ambulate. Staff rated ambulation with the apparatus as easier than without and noted that patients were more willing to ambulate on their own with the ambulation platform apparatus.

Updated Information

Here is the link to the abstract.

Here is the link to the full study

See the mobigo here

See the mobilite here

See the mobikidz here

ICU Delirium

Posted on by Philip Crumpton

ICU Delirium

Preventing ICU Delirium with Safe Early Mobility Protocols

ICU Delirium. 80% of the sickest patients in the ICU will suffer from delirium. They have multiple risk factors that include immobility, medications for pain and sedation, and interrupted circadian rhythms, just to name a few. Delirium in the ICU will complicate the patients stay and can lead to many adverse outcomes. Patients who suffer from delirium will often be combative, pull out catheters, be unable to participate in therapy, and they may even self-extubate. These adverse outcomes can be hard on patients, families and ICU staff. Education about delirium should be provided to family members when applicable. Delirium in the ICU will also increase the total cost of a patient’s stay.

ICU staff should have a system in place for assessing delirium such as the CAM-ICU. Their CAM-ICU score should be reported regularly in the EHR and during rounds. If staff is consistently reporting on delirium they can aim their interventions towards minimizing any adverse outcomes. Interventions will range from reducing certain medications, increasing mobility during the day, reducing stimulation at night, and to introducing cognitive therapy with an Occupation Therapist. Increasing patient  mobility continues to be a safe and viable way of reducing all manner of secondary infections.

Early Mobility Protocols

Delirium in the ICU is prevalent and also often preventable with the implementation of safe early mobility protocols. By tracking and addressing the following six risk factors our patients will have less complications: sleep deprivation, immobility, visual impairment, hearing impairment, cognitive impairment and dehydration. Livengood’s mobility solutions are designed for ease of patient mobility, so they can safely ambulate and limit the effects of secondary infections.

Click to read Article on Reducing Secondary Infections

Beneficial Reading

Implementation of a Mobility Program

 

See the mobigo here

See the mobilite here

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Implementing ICU Mobility Program

Posted on by Philip Crumpton

Implementing ICU Mobility Program

Safe Early Patient Mobility in the ICU

Implementing ICU mobility program. Are you looking to start an ICU early mobility program? If so, there are many factors that you’ll need to consider. One thing you need to think about is the current culture in your ICU. Is the culture to sedate all ICU patients, for patients to stay in bed? Is the staff ready for and supportive of a change? How well do the different departments work together? Are P.T.’s and O.T’s actively involved in the treatment of your ICU patients?

The next thing that I would advise would be to create a multi-disciplinary early mobility team, decide on a time frame, a start date, and start planning. You’ll need to create protocols, exclusion criteria and, add an early mobility line item to your pre-printed order sets.

It is important to have super-users or champions from each department who can then start training their coworkers and prepare them for your start date.

It is helpful to agree on the way that you will define mobility. I recommend using a system of 5 mobility stages. Stage1- bed in chair position, Stage 2- sitting edge of bed/dangling, Stage 3- Sitting in a chair, Stage 4- Standing/marching at bedside, Stage 5- Ambulation >10′. When documenting or discussing mobility in rounds, be sure that all team members are using the same grading system and language.

There are many resources out there and the evidence is strong in support of early mobility. The mobility will lead to better outcomes, improved cognitive status and improved patient satisfaction. Take the first step and get those patients moving!!

Beneficial Reading

Implementation of an Early Mobility Program

See the mobigo here

See the mobilite here

See the mobikidz here

Get Up and Pee

Posted on by Philip Crumpton

Get Up and Pee

Mobility – A Patient’s Basic Need

Get up and pee. We’ve all woken up early in the morning really needing to pee, but are so tired that we try to just lie there a little longer. We all know that the second we finally commit to getting out of bed we can rush to the bathroom. I bet you’ve never thought of that as a luxury. For millions of people who are in the hospital every day, it’s just that.

Imagine being in a hospital bed: you’re tethered to oxygen, an IV pole, and maybe even a chest tube. It wouldn’t be an easy feat to get up, let alone go to the bathroom. Often, the solutions available to you are to have a catheter, use a bedpan, or, god forbid, pee in your bed. They’re all so embarrassing. When I was in the hospital after an appendectomy and the nurse slid a bedpan under me and told me to “go ahead and pee,” I could’ve died. I was 17 and I really wanted to get up to use the regular bathroom. The nurse said that would be too much trouble with my IV and oxygen running. While using the bedpan, I couldn’t help but think that it was going to spill over onto the bed.

I joke about getting up to pee, but there are so many serious complications of bed rest. Immobility while one is hospitalized can lead to serious complications: urinary tract infections, bed sores, pneumonia, and blood clots, just to name a few. The benefits of mobility are numerous, including improved digestion, increased strength, increased independence, improved pulmonary function, and improved blood flow.

There is a better way! You have to insist on getting up and out of bed when you are in the hospital! It’s good for you to move your legs, and you certainly don’t want to pee in your bed now, do you?

 

Beneficial Reading

Implementation of an Early Mobility Program

See the mobigo here

See the mobilite here

See the mobikidz here

What Customers Say

Testimonials

“6 months ago we implemented 12 mobis into our early mobility program. We have a very diverse population on our ICU and having the option of mobilizing them in a way that is helpful and assistive to staff while instilling confidence in the patient and family is great. We’re still working to figure out our ideal workflow but it’s given us concrete examples of how even our sicker vented patients can get mobilized safely and efficiently.”

Mark Rohlfing
RN, BSN Clinical Operations Manager Intensive Care Unit
Indiana University Health Ball Memorial Hospital - Muncie, IN

“After completing a research study with the LIVENGOOD mobi on our post trauma/surgical floor, I realized its potential to decrease length of stay, help with staff efficiency and empower patients to be independent.”

Lorrie Henecke
MS, APRN, ACNS-BC, CNRN Clinical Nurse Specialist
Medical Center of the Rockies, Loveland, CO

“We are so excited that the mobi helped us ambulate our very first vented patient.”

Esther Vandermeulen
R.N.
University Health System - San Antonio, TX

“The LIVENGOOD mobi is very user friendly, safe and a great solution to use minimal staff and be able to contain all of the patient’s equipment.”

Michael Saccone
P.T.
Saint Joseph's Hospital - Syracuse, NY

“I think the LIVENGOOD mobi will revolutionize the way we mobilize patients in the ICU. I saw patients mobilize sooner and with less anxiety with the mobi. One young patient was even able to walk outside with the mobi and her portable vent. Having the mobi made mobility a real team effort, not just a P.T. activity.”

Terra Terwilliger
PT, DPT - Adult Inpatient Physical Therapist
Rehab Services University of Minnesota Medical Center, Fairview Health System

“The LIVENGOOD platform allows my patients to be active and independent without attention being diverted to multiple lines, an oxygen tank, and other medically necessary devices. It allows patients to have hope and a sense of “normalcy”, which so often is lost after trauma or surgery.”

Jessica Gilbert
DPT
Staff Physical Therapist - Medical Center of The Rockies -Loveland, CO

“Six years ago I was introduced to the LIVENGOOD mobi. This piece of equipment has been life changing for my patients. I am now able to consolidate all of the patient’s medical devices onto an easy to push mobile platform, therefore freeing up both of my hands to safely assist my patient.”

Tanya Kensley
P.T.
Poudre Valley Hospital -Fort Collins, CO

“Mobility is Life, the mobi platform will help patients move again.”

Blas Villa
CCRN
University Health System - San Antonio, TX

“I was at NTI in Boston (2013) and, during the exhibit portion, I wandered across the LIVENGOOD booth. At that moment, I knew our hospital needed this mobi for our open heart recovery program. I worked with a Clinical Nurse Specialist to write a grant for this product. I am so excited to bring the mobi to our program.”

Celina Adams
RN, MSN, CCRN (CVICU)
John C. Lincoln - Phoenix, AZ

“We walked a vented patient with the mobi and it was awesome! This helped her physically and emotionally.”

Natalie Hariel
R.N.
Tulane Medical Center - New Orleans, LA

“I am a nurse in a cardiovascular ICU… Our goal for patients is to ambulate to the chair 2 hours after extubation, often the evening of surgery day. Our patients are up and walking with central venous catheters, swan ganz catheters, chest tubes, foley catheters, and with IV medications infusing. The ambulation of these patients would not be possible without the mobi walker. Every bit of equipment that these patients need can be carried on the walker while providing the stability of a standard walker… It is an essential piece of equipment for us and we couldn’t provide the care and therapies we do without it.”

Katherine Whitfield
RN CCRN
Athens Regional Medical Center - Athens, GA

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