Island Health testing washroom sensors to help prevent toxic drug overdose

Island Health is set to begin another round of trials of motion sensing technology placed in washrooms to help prevent deadly drug overdose.

The motion sensors will be installed in washrooms at Nanaimo Regional General Hospital in areas deemed high-risk of drug use and will monitor how long an individual spends inside the washroom, sending notifications to hospital support staff if no movement is detected after a predetermined duration, such as 10 minutes.

The technology represents another tool the health authority is using to combat the increasing rates of overdose and toxic drug death on the Island:

“The sensor project marks one of the first trials to be launched under Island Health’s innovation program, which explores new ideas and approaches to improve the way health care is delivered,” said Chair of Island Health’s Board of Directors, Leah Hollins. “The value of this trial is that we’re turning a restroom into a life-saving service – and I want to acknowledge the work of everyone involved in moving this important initiative forward.”

The program originally began back in the fall of 2021 and has since undergone trials at two different locations in Courtenay. According to Island Health, the technology has already potentially saved the life of one individual after staff were alerted by the monitoring system placed in a bathroom at one of the previous trial locations.

The trial is set to run at Nanaimo Regional General Hospital for the next three months.

You can learn more about the sensor technology at the following link.