Medical timer/monitor and method of monitoring patient status

A portable electronic device for timing and monitoring patient sedentary inactivity, comprising:

• a portable housing;
• circuitry carried by the housing;
• a timer carried by the housing, coupled with the circuitry, and operative to measure an interval of time having a selected duration representative of sedentary positioning of a patient;
• a switch coupled with the timer and configured to reset the timer in association with a caregiver repositioning a patient;
• and
• an output device positioned remotely of the housing, coupled to the circuitry, and operative to notify a health care provider of the need to perform a medical treatment upon completion of measurement of the interval of time;
• the timer operative to remotely alert a caregiver of a need to reposition a patient.

A portable medical timing and monitoring apparatus which implements a method for managing timed patient repositioning of a sedentary patient, wherein the device includes circuitry, an output device coupled to the circuitry, and a sensor coupled with the circuitry for detecting a patient sedentary condition, the method comprising the steps of:

• detecting a sedentary positioning of a patient;
• timing an interval of time having a selected duration representative of sedentary positioning of a patient;
• resetting the interval of time up detection of the patient being repositioned;
• outputing a signal to a caregiver responsive to completion of the timed interval of time indicative of the need to reposition the patient.