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This Award is in recognition of Nihon Kohden's pioneering design for the Prefense™ Early Detection and Notification System™ that offers hospitals a cost-effective method to save lives and reduce ICU readmissions while significantly improving workflow.
Patient safety and workflow efficiency are two areas where hospitals face the most limiting challenges. The fact that nearly 15 million instances of medical harm occur in the U.S. each year drove the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) to initiate the highly successful 100,000 Lives Campaign in 2004 and the subsequent 5 Million Lives Campaign during the period of December 2006 to December 2008.
Of the 12 major interventions the IHI campaign promotes to reduce harm in hospitals, the top one is the deployment of Rapid Response Teams at the first sign of patient health decline. In response, Nihon Kohden developed the NTX telemetry transmitter and the Prefense Early Detection and Notification system.
Typically, telemetry transmitters are used in lower acuity levels due to their limited number of monitored parameters. NTX has additional parameters that greatly enhance the monitoring capabilities even in the critical patients. In addition to ECG and SpO2, the NTX measures respiration, giving the caregiver a quick indicator of the patient's entering into respiratory distress. Further, the NTX measures non-invasive blood pressure (NIBP), thus giving mobility to patients whose blood pressure needs constant monitoring.
"Designed to improve the response rate and speed of the Rapid Response Teams, the Prefense system is a combination of Nihon Kohden's innovative NTX technology and low acuity central station interface with continuous trend analysis and notification," notes Frost & Sullivan Research Analyst Mike Arani.
The wireless system continuously monitors four of the seven critical parameters, including heart rate, blood pressure, oxygen saturation, and respiration, extending its layer of protection beyond traditional monitoring units by wirelessly monitoring freely ambulating patients on post surgical and medical/surgical floors.
Unlike wireless bedside monitors utilized in higher acuity wards, the NTX in the heart of the Prefense system offers the extended critical care capabilities of a wireless bedside monitor while providing the extra mobility (bed-free) and flexibility of telemetry transmitters, at a fraction of the cost. Powered by only 3 alkaline AA batteries and wrapped comfortably around an ambulatory patient's arm, the NTX system continuously checks for key changes in vital signs that could be potential precursors for acute risks.
"Triggered by any number of key changes or a clinician's decision, the Prefense system can immediately activate the Rapid Response Team," continues Arani. "This On-Demand and quick notification system speeds up IHI suggested interventions and helps save more lives."
Nihon Kohden's commitment to the enhancement of patient care resonates through its innovative products and solutions. By providing consumers with premium and ground-breaking solutions at competitive prices, Nihon Kohden was able to further increase its market share in the North American multiparameter patient monitoring market, a direct result of the company's successful market strategies.
In appreciation of the company's enhanced status and innovative product and solutions, particularly in regard to the Prefense system, Frost & Sullivan is proud to present Nihon Kohden with the 2008 Product Innovation Award in the North American hospital wireless patient monitoring market.
Each year, Frost & Sullivan presents this Award to the company that has demonstrated the ability to develop and/or advance products with more innovative capabilities than competing vendors and products. The Award recognizes successful adoption of new or existing technology that has become a part of its well-designed product family. Such innovation is expected to significantly contribute to the industry in terms of product performance and degree/rate of technical change.
Frost & Sullivan Best Practices Awards recognize companies in a variety of regional and global markets for demonstrating outstanding achievement and superior performance in areas such as leadership, technological innovation, customer service, and strategic product development. Industry analysts compare market participants and measure performance through in-depth interviews, analysis, and extensive secondary research in order to identify best practices in the industry.
About Nihon Kohden
Nihon Kohden America, Inc. (nkusa.com) was founded in 1979 as a wholly owned subsidiary of Nihon Kohden Corporation, Japan (founded in 1951). Nihon Kohden America Inc. is a market leader in Patient Monitoring, Sleep Assessment, Neurology and Cardiology instrumentation. Our products are distributed to hospitals throughout North America.
About Frost & Sullivan
Frost & Sullivan, the Growth Partnership Company, partners with clients to accelerate their growth. The company's TEAM Research, Growth Consulting and Growth Team Membership™ empower clients to create a growth-focused culture that generates, evaluates and implements effective growth strategies. Frost & Sullivan employs over 45 years of experience in partnering with Global 1000 companies, emerging businesses and the investment community from more than 30 offices on six continents.
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jake.wengroff[.]frost.com 
