Validation of an IoMT-based monitoring system for pressure ulcer prevention in a hospital environment: A pilot

Introduction: Pressure ulcers are a significant public health problem that affects millions of patients worldwide since it compromises their health, decreases their quality of life, and can lead to permanent or partial disability and even death. Objective: Evaluate the correlation of the changes in patient position in bed from right lateral decubitus-To supine-To left lateral decubitus, captured by a new device developed by researchers, compared with a standard gold sensor. Methodology: The validation and design of the functionality were supported by Internet of Things (IoT) technology to monitor immobile patients' positions hospitalized in intensive care. It was an observational study based on a sample of eight patients (2163 samples for characterization and 1318 samples to evaluate correlation). Changes of the position being censored by the new device were lateral right decubitus-supine-And lateral left decubitus. These measurements were compared with simultaneous observations of changes of position provided by an observer and a standard gold sensor. Results: A linear correlation was verified between the measurements recorded by the two sensors for their axes (X, Y) of 0.98. The new device identified all the position changes performed on each patient, making an interface comprehensible for healthcare providers. The system was evaluated as usable for their proposed applications. Conclusion: The angles detected by the device that were developed are credited as valid, based on the linear correlation found. It was possible to obtain an indication of the precision of the degrees recorded by the developed device.