CLEVEVLAND (WJW)– A local hospital is the first across the globe to begin remotely monitoring patients who test positive for coronavirus.

“They are really over-running emergency departments across the country. We knew we had to do something,” said Dr. Peter Pronovost, University Hospitals chief clinical transformation officer.

Pronovost said UH teamed up with Masimo SafetyNet to create a sensor that is taped around a patient’s finger and attached to a disposable wristband.

“The sensor measures your heart rate, your oxygen, even how fast you are breathing. The wristband then sends a signal to your smartphone through Bluetooth and records it. That information then goes up to the Cloud, where UH doctors can monitor it wherever they are,” Pronovost said.

“You are also able to share it with a loved one or you can watch a loved one’s information if they are elderly or unable. It also displays it to a command center where doctors will be able to monitor patients. So, if alerts go off, like a patient is breathing too fast or oxygen goes too low, our clinicians can reach out to them,” Pronovost said.

Pronovost assures patients the system is secure. It also disposable and lasts for eight days.

“We give people replaceable Bandaids so if they shower and it gets wet, they can replace it. But you just put it on your fingers and it just stays there and someone is keeping an eye on our levels while you are at home,” Pronovost said.

UH has 1,000 units and will begin handing them out Wednesday. The units are free of charge because they are prototypes from Masimo.