Hospital Beds Get Digital Upgrade

A leading manufacturer is embedding sensors in the low-tech product to monitor vital signs of patients

A major manufacturer of hospital beds is seeking to transform the ubiquitous furniture into a source of medical data, the latest sign of hospitals’ digital transformation.

Hill-Rom Holdings Inc. said its newest hospital-bed model will include sensors to monitor patients’ heart and respiratory rates. The sensors will check a patient’s vital signs 100 times a minute and alert nurses when signs suggest the patient’s condition may worsen, said Hill-Rom Chief Executive John Groetelaars.

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