biotricity inc. announced that researchers at Rockyview General Hospital are using the company's biometric device in a study designed to identify early warning sign for illness and to promote over-all wellness. Researchers at Rockyview General Hospital (RGH), a large 650 bed hospital which is administered by Alberta Health Services (AHS), are using biotricity's small portable monitors to determine the effectiveness of monitoring heart rate variability (HRV) to predict the onset of illness in intensive care unit (ICU) patients, where patient conditions can change quickly. Today, the majority of devices that claim to measure heart rate only sample heart rate at intervals, and then produce an average over time.

To accurately measure HRV, an electrocardiogram (ECG) is required because this technology is capable of measuring milliseconds between heart beats. Dr. Liepert research aims to use biotricity's perioperative wellness monitor in order to follow a patient from pre-surgery, through the procedure, and throughout the recovery process among other uses. The research team believes the monitor could result in a reduction of post-surgery complications including wound infections and blood clots.

The four-month study, which concludes in April 2016 and is made possible by a grant from the National Research Council of Canada, will track HRV and health outcomes in 20 healthy people and 40 intensive care unit patients. Government and healthcare organizations are focused on driving costs down by shifting to evidence-based healthcare where individuals, especially those suffering from chronic illnesses, engage in self-management and preventative care.