Essity Launches Pilot of Digital Incontinence Solution

Digital sensors that notify a smart phone app when incontinence products need changing aim to increase patient dignity while reducing caregiver worries.

• By David Kopf
• Oct 29, 2020

Hygiene and health company Essity, which makes TENA incontinence and skincare products, has launched a pilot program of its TENA SmartCare Change Indicator, a system that uses digital sensors and a smartphone app to reduce manual checks of incontinence patients.

Cleared by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) earlier this year, SmartCare Change Indicator notifies caregivers via smartphone when they should consider changing a patient’s TENA absorbent products. 

This helps in-home and facilities-based caregivers provide higher quality, individualized and efficient care, while improving the safety, wellbeing and dignity of residents and loved ones. 

The TENA SmartCare Change Indicator is a reusable sensor that can be easily attached to the outside of select TENA absorbent products to digitally track the degree of urine saturation. When it is time to consider changing the product, caregivers are notified in real-time through the TENA SmartCare Professional Care or Family Care app on their smartphone. 

Benefits include reducing the risk of leakages and prolonged skin exposure to urine, which can lead to other health risk factors; less unnecessary person-to-person contact; a reduced need for patients to tell their caregivers their incontinence product needs changing; and less worry and frustration for caregivers.

That last point isn’t a small issue. More than half of U.S. caregivers surveyed by TENA said they feel frustrated for having to invade the personal privacy of those for whom they are managing incontinence. Given that there are an estimated 17 million Americans with daily urinary incontinence, according to the National Association for Continence, that’s a sizable concern.

“The COVID-19 pandemic has created new and increased demands on the way care is provided in the United States,” added Axel Nordberg, Ph.D., Essity’s Global Brand Director of IQ Solutions. “This new, technology application can minimize unnecessary contact and enable small adjustments that we believe will result in a big, positive impact in the lives of care home residents, loved ones and their caregivers.”