Teladoc Health, a provider of whole-person virtual care solutions, has introduced an AI-powered Virtual Sitter solution designed to improve patient safety and alleviate workforce challenges in hospitals and health systems.

This solution aims to prevent patient falls, which cause significant injuries and healthcare costs that affect nearly one million hospitalised individuals annually.

The product addresses a crucial healthcare issue by employing AI technology to allow remote staff to monitor up to 25% more patients. This enhancement is expected to increase the capacity of inpatient healthcare teams.

Teladoc Health Hospitals and Health Systems president Andy Puterbaugh said: “For more than a decade, we’ve pioneered new ways for technology to support human interaction in patient care, helping hospitals and health systems transform care delivery and meet their most pressing challenges.

“New applications of AI are now accelerating our impact, supporting continuous improvement of our fully integrated suite of connected care solutions, including Virtual Sitter.”

The solution's advanced algorithms detect patient movements and track the patient's body position to determine if the patient is in an unstable position, prompting quicker intervention from bedside staff.

The technology is integrated within Teladoc Health's TV Pro devices and operates on the edge, which enhances protected health information security and system performance.

The AI-powered Virtual Sitter solution is now available in the market and is already being adopted by several chosen clients.

This development is part of Teladoc Health's broader suite of inpatient-connected care solutions, which includes virtual nursing, physician consults, interpretive services, and other hybrid care services.

These services are designed to reduce the administrative burden on bedside staff and improve clinician and patient satisfaction.