Monitoring of patient supports

Abstract

A hospital bed is configured to monitor data from a second patient support based on the one or more alarms set by the user. The hospital bed detects whether an alarm triggering event occurred based on the monitored data. In response to a determination that the alarm triggering event occurred, the hospital bed will provide a signal indicative of the alarm triggering event to a nurse call system.

1 . A patient support for use in a healthcare facility having at least one secondary patient support, the patient support comprising:
 a display operable to render a graphical user interface (GUI) to interface with a user and allow the user to set one or more alarms, wherein each alarm corresponds to an alarm triggering event triggered by an action of a patient;   communication circuitry to communicatively couple the patient support to a healthcare communication system and the patient support to the at least one secondary patient support; and   a control system to monitor data of the patient support and the at least one secondary patient support based on the set alarms, detect whether an alarm triggering event occurred at either the patient support or the at least one secondary patient support based on the monitored data, and, in response to a determination that the alarm triggering event occurred, provide a signal indicative of the alarm triggering event to the healthcare communication system.   
     
     
         2 . The patient support of  claim 1 , wherein the control system of the patient support determines, from information provided by the secondary patient support, whether a triggering event has occurred at the secondary patient support and provides a signal indicative that the alarm triggering event occurred at the at least one secondary patient support. 
     
     
         3 . The patient support of  claim 2 , wherein the at least one secondary patient support comprises at least one of a chair, a toilet, a stretcher, and a lift. 
     
     
         4 . The patient support of  claim 2 , wherein the at least one secondary patient support comprises a chair, and wherein the alarms include a chair exit alarm to trigger an alarm in response to a determination that a patient previously sitting on the chair is not presently sitting on the chair. 
     
     
         5 . The patient support of  claim 2 , wherein the at least one secondary patient support comprises a toilet, and wherein the alarms include at least one of an on-toilet alarm to trigger an alarm in response to a determination that a patient has sat on the toilet and an off-toilet alarm to trigger an alarm in response to a determination that a patient previously sitting on the toilet is not presently sitting on the toilet. 
     
     
         6 . The patient support of  claim 2 , wherein the at least one secondary patient support comprises a stretcher, and wherein the alarms include at least one of a position alarm to trigger an alarm in response to a determination that a present position of the stretcher is in a predetermined position, an exiting alarm to trigger an alarm in response to a determination that the patient is detected as attempting to exit the stretcher, and an out of stretcher alarm to trigger an alarm in response to a determination that the patient has exited the stretcher. 
     
     
         7 . The patient support of  claim 2 , wherein the GUI is further configured to allow the user to control functions of the patient support. 
     
     
         8 . The patient support of  claim 7 , wherein the GUI is further configured to facilitate a wireless network connection between the patient support and the at least one secondary patient support. 
     
     
         9 . The patient support of  claim 8 , wherein the wireless network connection comprises a Bluetooth network connection. 
     
     
         10 . The patient support of  claim 1 , wherein the GUI is further configured to facilitate a wireless network connection between the patient support and the at least one secondary patient support. 
     
     
         11 . The patient support of  claim 9 , wherein the GUI is further configured to provide, based on the alarm settings, at least one of a visual indication and an audible noise that the alarm triggering event was detected. 
     
     
         12 . The patient support of  claim 11 , wherein the data comprises a present weight being applied to the patient support and the at least one secondary patient support. 
     
     
         13 . The patient support of  claim 1 , wherein the data comprises a present weight being applied to the patient support and the at least one secondary patient support. 
     
     
         14 . The patient support of  claim 1 , wherein the event capable of triggering the alarm triggering event includes a change in position on the at least one secondary patient support while maintaining contact with the at least one secondary patient support. 
     
     
         15 . The patient support of  claim 1 , wherein the event capable of triggering the alarm triggering event includes a change in position on the patient support while maintaining contact with the patient support. 
     
     
         16 . The patient support of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more alarms comprise at least one of one or more alarms of the patient support and one or more alarms of the at least one secondary patient support. 
     
     
         17 . The patient support of  claim 16 , wherein the GUI is further configured to provide, based on the alarm settings, at least one of a visual indication and an audible noise that the alarm triggering event was detected. 
     
     
         18 . The patient support of  claim 1 , wherein the GUI is further configured to provide, based on the alarm settings, at least one of a visual indication and an audible noise that the alarm triggering event was detected. 
     
     
         19 . The patient support of  claim 1 , wherein the patient support is a hospital bed. 
     
     
         20 . The patient support of  claim 19 , wherein the event capable of triggering the alarm triggering event includes a change in position on the at least one secondary patient support while maintaining contact with the at least one secondary patient support.