Medline introduces wetness sensing technology to provide real-time incontinence episode alerts

Medline, a manufacturer and supplier of medical supplies and solutions, announced new user-friendly technology for incontinence management called FitRight CONNECT Wetness Sensing System. The solution combines special briefs, a sensor pod and real-time alerts to provide data that takes the guesswork out of incontinence management and helps skilled nursing home residents stay dryer longer.

The FitRight CONNECT Wetness Sensing System briefs and sensor pod provide real-time data on residents’ voiding patterns, including the time each wetness event occurred, the amount of time residents spent in each brief, and the amount of time before a clean brief was applied.

The FitRight CONNECT Wetness Sensing System briefs and sensor pod provide real-time data on residents’ voiding patterns, including the time each wetness event occurred, the amount of time residents spent in each brief, and the amount of time before a clean brief was applied.

Studies show that the prevalence of incontinence among nursing home residents is as high as 83.7%. Adult briefs are an important part of managing incontinence management, but are often used incorrectly due to a lack of understanding of regular urinary patterns among residents. Depending on a caregiver's availability, residents may spend hours in a wet brief, increasing the risk of developing dermatitis or incontinence-associated dermatitis (IAD).

The Wi-Fi enabled FitRight CONNECT Wetness Sensing System provides real-time data on residents' voiding patterns, including the time each wetness event occurred, the amount of time residents spent in each brief, and the amount of time before a clean brief was applied. This data helps identify the real change rate per resident, potential toileting times, caregiver workflow patterns, and the need for changes in residents' plan of care. Utilizing the dashboard data has proven to be instrumental in conversing with family members about the incontinence care provided for their loved ones.

Bayley began trialing FitRight CONNECT in one unit with 25 long-term care residents with plans to roll it out to additional units to help improve incontinence management protocols. The technology has helped Bayley reduce time residents spend in soiled briefs by 36.9 percent and the average response time to a brief change was 31 percent faster in the first few weeks.