In autumn 2014, the finishing touches will be made to "the intelligent hospital bed of the future", and the first new Opus 5 beds will be distributed to selected customers in October.
Successful PPP
In 2008, Central Denmark Region and Randers Regional Hospital invited a range of suppliers to participate in a public-private partnership (PPP) to develop "the intelligent hospital bed of the future". The objective was to create a bed that challenges and optimises work procedures in and around hospital care. The issue of how we improve patient safety, comfort and self-care options, while simultaneously boosting the safety, working environment and work procedures of the staff – and how we open up new options with regard to infrastructure, IT and communication – played a key role in this close development partnership with the regional hospital.
“Hospital bed design has remained unchanged since I was a nursing student i 1968 - for more than 30 years! ... It must surely be time for something new!”
Karin Valbæk, Director of Nursing Services at Randers Regional Hospital, who came up with the idea for the bed in 2006.
KR chose to participate in the project because it offered us a unique opportunity to conduct development in close collaboration with users. Backed by 40 years of experience as a bed manufacturer for the healthcare sector, we were in a position to challenge the other product partners from both technological and commercial perspectives, while simultaneously contributing our own ideas. Moreover, as our development and production facilities are flexible and set up to accommodate small prototype batches, we have the opportunity to apply improvements quickly and efficiently in the wake of ongoing consumer tests.
New opportunities with trail-blazing functions
“The new intelligent hospital bed has developed into something more than simply a place where the patient lies. It has become an integrated part of the clinical work in connection with care, mobilisation and transport.”
Liv-Janne Fiksdal Hansen, CCO at KR
| Mobilisation by the foot end |
| • New rehabilitation options |
| • Equal conversations |
| • Improved patient independence |
| • Improved eating situations |
| • Gentler and earlier mobilisation of newly operated patients |
| • Less staff needed for mobilisation and embedding patients |
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• Less physical strain on staff during patient mobilisation |
| • Easier to dress and undress patients |
| • Better patient control, fewer accidental falls |
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Patient movement with side tilt |
| • Helpful while moving, mobilising and turning patients |
| • Improved patient positioning options during care |
| • The surface can be lowered, så that it only reaches 35 cm above the ground |
| • Less physical strain on staff while moving or mobilising patients |
| • Prevents pressure wounds |
Intentions regarding IT and infrastructure
Even though the Opus 5 is now being launched on the market, we are continuing to develop and reinforce the concept. Accessories such as touchscreen operation, fleet management, tracking, rehabilitation equipment, built-in patient scales, etc. are already on the drawing board.
