TOUCHPOINT CASE STUDY

Optimizing Patient Observation for Safety and Efficiency

Overview

In 2017, a Detroit hospital faced rising risks tied to patient falls, self-harm, and staffing shortages—challenges now common nationwide. With The Joint Commission increasing scrutiny, hospital leaders turned to TouchPoint Support Services to implement a strategic, cost-effective patient observation solution.

Previously, the hospital relied on nurses or high-cost staff for 1:1 monitoring, a method that was unsustainable and inefficient. TouchPoint collaborated with its client to develop and deploy a standardized observation program that reduced costs, improved patient safety, enhanced compliance, and optimized labor resources to deliver measurable value in a high-risk care environment.

Nursing turnover dropped from

with a continued downward trend
18.8% to 18.8 %

The cost of patient observation dropped

per patient day
$ 300 0
of PSA demand is met by TouchPoint, minimizing disruption to allied teams
0 %

What Is a Patient Safety Attendant (PSA)?

 Patient Safety Attendants are a critical part of a hospital’s fall and self-harm prevention strategy. Positioned within arm’s reach to high-risk patients, PSAs provide constant observation, emotional support, and real-time communication with clinical teams.

PSAs help maintain a safe, calm environment while documenting behaviors and alerting staff to changes—improving patient outcomes and reducing liability. Their role is aligned with each hospital’s safety protocols and may be paired with tools like bed alarms or remote video monitoring for low- to moderate-risk patients.

As part of a comprehensive patient observation solution, TouchPoint’s PSA programs are built for flexibility, scalability, and operational excellence—making them an ideal choice for hospitals looking to improve safety and reduce risk.

Optimized Labor, Improved Safety

  • Clinical Caregiver satisfaction improved 
    • Turnover dropped from 18.8% to 10.5% with a continued downward trend
  • The cost of patient observation dropped $174.80 per patient day
  • 90% of PSA demand is met by the TouchPoint team, minimizing disruption to allied teams
  • Use of temporary workers was eliminated; Overtime was reduced
    • TouchPoint analyzed staffing data to build a flexible labor model. 
    • By hiring 64 full- and part-time associates, TouchPoint eliminated temporary staffing while creating a scalable pool based on census needs. 
    • The equivalent of 32.76 clinical full-time staff were relieved of direct observation duties, re-focusing nurses and patient care technicians on person-centered care
  • A 24/7 management structure ensures seamless coordination between nursing, video monitoring, and PSA teams. 
  • Real-time iPad-based assessments track attentiveness, safety compliance, and documentation quality.
  • Joint training with nurse educators supports continuous learning, while regulatory documentation is fully maintained by TouchPoint.
  • This data-driven, scalable approach improves safety, reduces labor costs, and ensures compliance—making TouchPoint a trusted partner for hospitals seeking smarter patient observation and workforce optimization solutions.

Following its successful launch in Detroit, TouchPoint’s PSA program rapidly expanded. Today, over 150 PSAs are actively deployed nationwide, supported by a dedicated team managing recruiting, training, and dispatching. 

Built to scale, compliant by design, and driven by measurable outcomes, TouchPoint’s PSA solution delivers consistent results across hospital systems.