Electronic patient sitter management system and method for implementing

An electronic sitter system coupled to a patient surveillance network, the patient surveillance network comprising a plurality of video cameras for capturing and transmitting surveillance video streams and a plurality of sensors for capturing data in patient rooms, each of the plurality of video cameras located in a patient room and aimed at an interior of the respective patient room, the electronic sitter system comprising:

• a plurality of sitter devices, each sitter device configured to:
• receive a plurality of real-time patient surveillance video streams from cameras located in a plurality of patient rooms, wherein the sitter device receives the plurality of real-time patient surveillance video streams regardless of whether an alert is received by the sitter device;
• simultaneously display the plurality of real-time patient surveillance video streams;
• receive an identification of one or more movements that are indicative of a potential fall based on a motion detector device detecting and discriminating patient motions within a given one of the plurality of real-time patient surveillance video streams;
• receive an alert corresponding to the one or more movements that are indicative of a potential fall, wherein the alert is received subsequent to the sitter device receiving the given real-time patient surveillance video stream;
• provide at least one interactive control for at least a given one of the plurality of patient rooms that corresponds to the given real-time patient surveillance video stream, wherein the interactive control is selected from the group consisting of an attend patient control and a nurse call control;
• and
• transmit a signal to a staff calling system based on a selection from the at least one interactive control.

An electronic sitter system for managing patient surveillance video in an electronic sitter system for monitoring patients, the electronic sitter system comprising:

• a monitoring and control device configured to:
• receive a plurality of real-time patient surveillance video streams from cameras located in a plurality of patient rooms;
• transmit the plurality of real-time patient surveillance video streams to a sitter device, wherein the plurality of real-time patient surveillance video streams are transmitted to and simultaneously displayed at the sitter device regardless of whether an alert is transmitted to the sitter device;
• and
• a motion detector device configured to:
• detect patient motions within a given one of the plurality of real-time patient surveillance video streams;
• discriminate from the patient motions one or more movements that are indicative of a potential fall;
• and
• transmit an alert to the sitter device, wherein the alert is triggered by the one or more movements that are indicative of a potential fall and wherein the alert is transmitted subsequent to transmitting the given real-time patient surveillance video stream to the sitter device.