Turning Virtual Observation Into Measurable Value: Confluence Health’s Success with CareView

Healthcare organizations continue to look for innovative ways to improve patient safety while managing staffing pressures and rising operational costs. Through its partnership with CareView Communications, Confluence Health has demonstrated how virtual observation technology can deliver meaningful clinical and financial outcomes.

Over the course of a nine-month period—from April through December 2025—Confluence Health implemented CareView’s Virtual Sitting solution to support patient monitoring and reduce reliance on traditional in-room sitters. The results highlight the measurable impact that technology-enabled observation can have across hospital operations.

During this evaluation period, Confluence Health logged 24,090 virtual sitter hours, providing continuous observation for patients who required additional monitoring. Virtual sitting enables trained observers to monitor multiple patients remotely using secure video technology, allowing care teams to intervene quickly when necessary while minimizing the need for physical sitter coverage.

While virtual observation handled the majority of monitoring needs, physical sitter support was still used when clinically appropriate. Across the same timeframe, 479 hours of physical sitter coverage were required, demonstrating how virtual observation can significantly reduce—but not entirely eliminate—the need for bedside sitters. Instead, it creates a hybrid approach that ensures the right level of monitoring for each patient.

One of the most compelling outcomes of this initiative was the financial impact. Confluence Health’s total investment in the program was approximately $163,000, yet the hospital realized $481,800 in sitter replacement savings during the same period. These savings are calculated based on avoided costs associated with traditional in-person sitter staffing.

When these figures are evaluated together, the program generated a total return on investment (ROI) of 195.2%—a powerful indicator of how virtual observation can deliver both operational efficiency and financial value.

Beyond the direct cost savings, CareView’s technology also helped improve staff efficiency. The program generated 261.1 hours of bedside time savings, allowing clinical staff to redirect their attention to higher-acuity patient care tasks. In today’s healthcare environment, where nurses and support staff are often stretched thin, every hour returned to bedside care can have a meaningful impact on both patient outcomes and staff satisfaction.

The success of this program highlights an important shift occurring across healthcare systems nationwide. Hospitals are increasingly adopting technology-driven solutions that enhance patient safety while supporting clinical teams and controlling costs. Virtual sitting has emerged as a practical and scalable approach to monitoring patients at risk of falls, confusion, or self-harm—without requiring one-to-one staff coverage around the clock.

For Confluence Health, the results demonstrate that virtual observation is more than a technology investment—it’s a strategic tool that helps balance patient safety, staffing resources, and financial sustainability.

As healthcare providers continue to navigate workforce challenges and increasing patient demand, solutions like CareView’s Virtual Sitting platform are proving that innovation and measurable outcomes can go hand in hand. By combining advanced monitoring technology with proven operational workflows, hospitals can create safer environments for patients while empowering care teams to focus on what matters most: delivering high-quality care.