RespiraSense pilot

RespiraSense is the world’s only continuous and motion-tolerant respiratory rate monitor.

It improves quality of care by enhancing the ability of clinical teams to identify patients whose condition is deteriorating up to 12 hours earlier than usual. Developed by PMD Solutions, RespiraSense has been selected as part of the NHS innovation Accelerator. Respiratory rate is the earliest and most sensitive indicator of patient deterioration, yet it is often poorly monitored. This innovative device can support hospitals to improve the detection of, and response to, clinical deterioration in patients with acute illness.

Supporting implementation of NEWS2

Respiratory rate is a key component of NEWS2 – the National Early Warning Score that will become the standard for identifying patient deterioration in England by April 2019. At present, however, respiratory rate is manually counted, and research has shown it to be poorly measured. As part of the national patient safety collaborative programme, we are supporting hospitals across the partnership with their implementation of NEWS2.

The pilot

We are supporting four trusts to take part in the set-up phase for a pilot of RespiraSense. The pilot will help build understanding of how RespiraSense performs in a real-world context, the mechanisms through which it improves care, and what (if any) adaptations need to be made to implement the innovation in different contexts. Teams selected to progress to the full pilot will receive six months free supply of RespiraSense.