Intelligent hydration aid which combats dehydration in community-based and acute settings by monitoring the frequency of drinking and providing instant visual and verbal reminders to drink.
Intelligent hydration aid which combats dehydration in community-based and acute settings by monitoring the frequency of drinking and providing instant visual and verbal reminders to drink.
“Droplet supports the crucial element of hydration for healthcare professionals to monitor, manage and improve patients’ fluid intake. This is why at Musgrove Park we are introducing Droplet in every ward.”
Phil Shelley, Former National Chair of the Hospital Caterers Association
Summary:
Droplet is a smart hydration reminder, designed to combat dehydration in community-based and acute environments.
Droplet cups and tumblers have detachable electronic reminder bases. A series of spoken messages and flashing lights in the base remind the person to drink, and the timing of the reminders can be adjusted to suit the individual’s needs.
Droplet has been developed in consultation with over 100 healthcare professionals and older people. Pilots in care homes and hospitals has shown to increase fluid intakes by over 500ml per day.
The Droplet story can be viewed here.
Challenge/problem identified:
There are almost four million* vulnerable people currently living in the community, often alone, who are at serious risk of dehydration. Dehydration results in emergency hospital admissions, poor clinical outcomes and extended stays in hospital, and emergency readmissions following discharge.
Existing strategies to promote better hydration only really exist within a clinical environment. However, maintaining adequate hydration remains a challenge. The most effective intervention is through personal prompting, but in busy hospital wards this is often impossible to do effectively and at home there is no current alternative.
*https://www.ageuk.org.uk/globalassets/age-uk/documents/reports-andpublications/later_life_uk_factsheet.pdf
Impact:
Currently used in nine hospitals (January 2019)
Where Droplet is currently used in hospitals and care homes, the following benefits have been consistently observed:
Fellow: Martin Withers
safety, quality and efficiency within hospitals
mental health self-care and education
self-care and education
primary care and urgent care self-care and education
cancer earlier intervention and diagnostics self-care and education
cancer
cardiovascular disease earlier intervention and diagnostics
cancer earlier intervention and diagnostics