5000 Exceptional Dolphin Therapy Patient Outcomes

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5000 Outstanding Dolphin Therapy Patient Outcomes

On this page, we summarise 5000 exceptional Dolphin Therapy patient outcomes.

On the 5000th day that Dolphin Therapy has been available in the UK and Ireland, Medstrom is celebrating the achievement of 5000 patient outcomes.

Did you know that’s one outstanding outcome and patient story every day since its introduction?

This is a HUGE achievement and Medstrom is incredibly proud to reach this milestone, helping clinicians testify the use of Dolphin Therapy for highly complex patients.

Download the summary PDF

More Dolphin Therapy information

Series of short videos – 5 key points from 5000 patient outcomes

Dolphin Therapy Benefits

Tissue Symmetry Maintained (1)

Vascular Occlusion Minimised (2)

Tissue Ischaemia Prevented (3)

A Major Landmark

Hear from Sue Hopewell, Clinical Director (Tissue Viability) at Medstrom, on what this means:

“I am delighted that as a team we have reached the milestone of 5000 patient outcomes for Dolphin Therapy. Our team of Clinical Advisors work incredibly hard to ensure any patient that goes on Dolphin Therapy is justified, helping to bind the Medstrom ethos of right patient, right product, right time.

“Alongside our clinical support with every Dolphin Therapy rental, is the collection of outcome data. This is a unique added-value service that we’ve been working on since 2015 and is especially important with a specialist product like Dolphin Therapy.

“The positive outcomes we’ve collected have remained consistent since 2015, which is a remarkable accomplishment and an indication of Dolphin’s outstanding and consistent performance as a specialist therapy, outside of traditional air mattresses.

“For me personally, the achievement of 5,000 outcomes helps remind me that behind every outcome is a patient we’ve made a difference for.

“Please do take the time to read the outcome summary and if you have any questions about fluid immersion simulation, please feel free to contact me where I’d be happy to help identify suitable patients that could benefit.”

Download the summary PDF

Dolphin Therapy Case Studies

5000 Outcomes: Pressure Area Care

Pressure Ulcer Risk Scores

91% of Dolphin Therapy patients had a risk score of high or very high.

Prevention Patients

98% of patients placed on Dolphin Therapy to prevent skin damage did not develop any.

Treatment Patients

Wounds healed or improved in 62% of patients placed on Dolphin Therapy for treatment.

My understanding is that Dolphin is the gold standard.

Martin Quinton – Critical Care Practitioner, Sheffield Children’s Hospital

5000 Outcomes: Pain, Comfort and Sleep

Pain

Pain reduced in > 99% of patients.

Comfort

Comfort improved in > 99% of patients.

Sleep

Sleep quality improved in > 99% of patients.

I feel like my outlook for the future has got better because I’m more comfortable and sleeping better. I can see my skin improving now, and that has helped me feel better in myself.

Dolphin Therapy Patient

5000 Outcomes: More Findings

Turning Frequency

Turning frequency reduced in 98% of patients.

Adherence to Care

Adherence to care improved in 96% of patients.

Comorbidities

64% of patients 'stepped up' from alternating therapy had their wounds improve or heal on Dolphin Therapy.

Prevention versus Treatment

Pressure ulcers are estimated to cost the NHS £3.8 million per day,⁴ and a recent systematic review suggested hospital-acquired pressure ulcer (HAPU) incidence was 12%.⁵

Patients are either placed on Dolphin Therapy to prevent skin damage (no existing wounds on placement), or to treat existing skin damage.

We know that prevention and treatment patients have similarly highly complex needs and multiple comorbidities.⁶ Additionally, we know how many treatment patients’ wounds from July 2021 were HAPUs, along with the categories.⁷

In the prevention group, 98% did not develop any skin damage. So, what would be the cost savings if 98% of Category 1, 2, 3, and 4 HAPUs in the treatment group had been prevented by earlier adoption of Dolphin Therapy?

Overall reduction in number of HAPUs: 599
Saving: £5,475,000

Download the summary PDF

Dolphin Therapy Case Studies

References

CT scans from St Joseph’s Hospital, Tampa, Florida.
Worsley PR et al (2015). The effects of a fluid immersion mattresses; an evaluation of fluid immersion therapy for the prevention of pressure ulcers. 18th Annual Meeting of the European Pressure Ulcer Advisory Panel, 17th September 2015. Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Southampton.
Mayes KL et al (2012). Cost effective care without clinical compromise: Incorporating the Dolphin Fluid Immersion Simulation Mattress System into the postoperative care of patients undergoing myocutaneous flaps. Poster presented at Wild on Wounds National Conference, September 12 – 15, 2012, Las Vegas, NV.
Pressure ulcers: revised definition and measurement, NHS Improvement, 2018.
Afzali Borojeny L et al (2020). The Incidence of Pressure Ulcers and its Associations in Different Wards of the Hospital: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. International journal of preventive medicine, 11, 171. https://doi.org/10.4103/ijpvm.IJPVM_182_19
Medstrom (2023). The effectiveness of Dolphin Therapy fluid immersion simulation support surface. Outcomes for over 3,000 highly complex patients. Available at: https://www.medstrom.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/SM1153-Dolphin-Therapy-3000-Patient-Outcomes-Report-Rev1-Mar-2023-1.pdf
Medstrom (2024). Data on file.

5000 Days of Dolphin Therapy

5000 Patients

5000 Exceptional Outcomes

5000 Outstanding Dolphin Therapy Patient Outcomes