Smith & Nephew, a global medical technology company, has agreed to acquire Leaf Healthcare, a developer of the unique Leaf Patient Monitoring System for pressure injury prevention and patient mobility monitoring.
Image: Smith & Nephew has decided to buy the Leaf Healthcare. Photo: Courtesy of Smith & Nephew.
Following the completion of a two-year partnership with Leaf Healthcare as an exclusive distributor and strategic investor in the past, Smith & Nephew has decided to buy the monitoring devices manufacturer.
Leaf Healthcare provides Leaf Patient Monitoring System that has a small, lightweight, wearable sensor that wirelessly monitors a patient’s position and their mobility in a hospital.
The tracking data provided by the monitoring device is useful for automating and documenting the compliance with prescribed turn protocols for patients at risk for pressure injuries.
National Pressure Ulcer Advisory Panel (NPUAP) has recommended a prevention protocol for high-risk patients that include prophylactic foam dressings, preventative skin care including pH balanced skin cleanser, and patient repositioning with early mobilization.
The Leaf Patient Monitoring System together with Smith & Nephew’s ALLEVYN LIFE and ALLEVYN GENTLE BORDER and SECURA Skin Care products is expected to provide a comprehensive portfolio to help customers achieve and optimize pressure injury prevention protocols.
Smith & Nephew advanced wound management president Simon Fraser said: “Consistent with our initial strategic investment, Smith & Nephew is focused on providing not just products to treat conditions, but also supporting clinicians with technologies designed for prevention as well as treatment, and helping healthcare facilities reduce the cost of care.
“The Leaf Patient Monitoring System is highly complementary to Smith & Nephew’s existing wound portfolio and we are excited by the opportunities of expanding this product within our global portfolio.”
The acquisition is expected to be completed in second quarter of 2019, following the satisfaction of customary conditions and is financed from existing cash and debt facilities.
Leaf Healthcare co-founder and chief executive officer Barrett Larson said: “The benefits of patient turning and improved patient mobility are well recognised, including the potential for shorter hospital stays. We are proud of the impact our technology has already made through our existing relationship with Smith & Nephew.
“We are excited by this new opportunity to deploy our award-winning pressure injury prevention technology through Smith & Nephew’s extensive Advanced Wound Management portfolio.”
In January 2018, Stanford University independently conducted a Randomized Controlled Trial (RCT) to evaluate optimal patient repositioning.
The trial revealed that the Leaf Patient Monitoring System induced a 43% relative increase in turning protocol compliance in high-risk patients.