New Study Finds That Using Smart Bed Technology® Solution Dramatically Reduces Pressure Ulcers in Long-Term Care Residents

CAMPBELL, Calif. and LONGWOOD, Fla.--A landmark new study on the prevention of pressure ulcers found that using Smart Bed Technology® to drive compliance to patient repositioning protocols had a dramatic effect on reduction and prevention of pressure ulcers among residents of long-term care centers. Pressure ulcers are one of the largest and most persistent problems in healthcare worldwide, especially in light of aging populations. The US health system is hit with added costs of more than $11 billion annually because of pressure ulcers.

Entitled “The Efficacy of Goodmark Medical’s Solution Using the BAM Labs® Smart Bed Technology® in the Prevention of Pressure Ulcers,” the peer-reviewed study was recently published in the Journal of Aging Science. The research utilized the technology platform developed by BAM Labs, the world’s leading provider of Smart Bed Technology solutions, and was supported by Goodmark Medical, a nationwide provider of healthcare solutions. The Signature Research Institute conducted the study, which was written by Jeff A. Beaty, LMSW, MSHA, D.H.Ed., and Timothy M. Sauer, Ph.D. Over a period of 12 weeks, 94 residents at three long-term care centers in Kentucky took part in the study. The centers are operated by Signature HealthCARE, a leading provider of long-term care services in the Eastern and Southeastern U.S.

The goals of the study were two-fold: Assess the effects of an every two-hour repositioning schedule on the development of pressure ulcers, and measure the effectiveness of using BAM Labs’ Smart Bed Technology to drive compliance to that schedule by measuring and validating the repositioning events. The study found a dramatic 85.4% decrease in new pressure ulcer development during the 12-week period, and a 50% decrease in overall number of pressure ulcers. In addition, the average compliance with two-hour turn intervals increased by 35% during the course of the study.

“This important new study clearly validates the significant benefits of using our Smart Bed Technology in preventing pressure ulcers,” said Richard Rifredi, co-founder and CEO of BAM Labs. “We are very proud to have worked with our partners Goodmark Medical and Signature HealthCARE on this breakthrough research. They strongly share our commitment to using innovative technology to transform healthcare for the benefit of patients, providers and society overall.”

Michael Visnich, Founder and CEO of Goodmark Medical, LLC., and the managing partner in the study, said: "We help improve outcomes by providing ’hands-on’ assistance to medical professionals in the implementation of solutions like the BAM Labs Smart Bed Solution. Our experienced team is directly involved with caregivers and management teams from inception through the ongoing delivery of enhanced care. We were proud to partner with the forward looking team at Signature HealthCARE as well as BAM Labs to dramatically reduce pressure ulcers as an enhancement to quality of care, and relief from unnecessary suffering and the associated costs."

“For the first time, we have a study that demonstrates that we can prevent pressure sores by repositioning residents,” said Mike Hanson, who supported the study and leads BAM Labs’ medical solutions team. “The study found that Smart Bed Technology improves compliance to repositioning protocols, and that leads to a dramatic reduction in pressure sores.”

How Smart Bed Technology Was Used in the Study

The BAM Labs® Smart Bed Technology® solution is a non-invasive platform consisting of a sensor mat installed under the mattress, providing resident information for motion in bed. The BAM Labs Position Change application enables caregivers to set individual resident turn schedules, record directional position changes, determine the duration since the last position change, and receive automated reminders for the next position change. All position changes are recorded and biometrically validated to ensure compliance with the care plan protocol.

Goodmark Medical, a nationwide provider of professional healthcare solutions and distributor of BAM Labs’ Smart Bed Technology, managed and supported the study in a number of ways: Providing the Smart Bed mats, pre-installing wireless assessment, staffing in-service training, and communicating with the centers via customized turn compliance reporting and vital trend alerts. Goodmark Medical’s Solution division uses data collected by the BAM Labs solution to assist management in identifying inefficiencies. This daily process creates staff accountability to drive compliance.

About BAM Labs

BAM Labs® is the leading innovator in Smart Bed Technology®. In the medical market, BAM Labs’ FDA registered Touch-free Life Care™ smart bed sensor and HIPAA-compliant cloud monitoring platform transforms any bed into a smart bed to inform, manage and improve health. The BAM Labs Smart Bed Technology solution is available through authorized distribution partners in the United States and Canada. BAM Labs’ Smart Bed Technology solutions are also being used to create breakthrough consumer products, notably the SleepIQ™ technology only available with a Sleep Number® bed at one of the 450 Sleep Number stores across the country. Visit http://www.bamlabs.com or contact info@bamlabs.com.

About Goodmark Medical

Goodmark Medical was founded by a team accustomed to positively impacting changes in healthcare delivery. This team was responsible for the successful conversion of tens of thousands of patients from painful blood draws for anti-coagulation testing to home monitoring, linked to physicians. Today, Goodmark Medical is working with leading medical device and diagnostic testing manufacturers, like BAM Labs, to deliver and market products that improve patient healthcare through proactive screening, patient monitoring and diagnostic tools. Goodmark provides its cloud-based software program, Relaymed™ with each smart bed purchase or rental at no additional charge* for seamlessly connecting to electronic health records — helping reduce labor costs and assuring accurate, timely reporting. Visit http://www.goodmarksolutions.com or contact bam@goodmarkmed.com .

BAM Labs®and Smart Bed Technology® are registered trademarks and Touch-free Life Care™ is a trademark of BAM Labs, Inc. SleepIQ™ is a trademark and Sleep Number® is a registered trademark of Select Comfort Corporation. Relaymed™ is a trademark of Goodmark Medical, LLC

* Standard Relaymed™ program, additional charges may apply for EMR connectivity, advanced reporting features, other services.