Bruin Biometrics’ pressure injury software enables more efficient, equitable care
Preventable pressure injuries drive health inequality. The 9th leading cause of mortality in the US, pressure injuries are responsible for over 1,000 deaths every week – and disproportionately impact dark-skinned patients. Bruin Biometrics is committed to eliminating patient suffering and waste caused by pressure injuries. The company is a recognized industry leader with 500+ patents, 160 publications, and major innovation awards from Fast Company and TIME, among others.
Challenges
Empower clinicians with accessible, accurate pressure injury data
Bruin Biometrics’ Provizio SEM Scanner detects sub-epidermal moisture (SEM), a condition that, when treated, overwhelmingly prevents pressure injuries before they break the patients’ skin. The company has a clear vision for the next stage of innovation: a digital tool to enhance the scanner’s power and give clinicians better data on patient status, progression, and trends.
More effectively managing pressure injury risks at population level – spanning acute care, inpatient rehab, skilled nursing and at-home settings for a range of patient profiles – demanded a more strategic approach powered by real-time data.
“Clinically, the traditional one-size-fits-all care model is outdated,” explained Martin Burns, CEO of Bruin Biometrics. “Treating an ICU patient like a surgery patient doesn’t make sense – just like assuming the same pressure injury approach works for light and dark skin tones. Our aim is to help clinicians improve outcomes and deliver more effective care at scale.
Transition from a healthcare hardware specialist to a digital innovator
The new software would transform Bruin Biometrics’ approach. They ultimately wanted to leverage AI, machine learning, and advanced analytics to make pressure injury prevention more intelligent, automated, and cost-effective.
In addition to providing key capabilities, they knew the software needed to perform across 3 crucial areas:
- Security was non-negotiable – Compliance with SOC2, HITRUST and HIPAA standards, along with robust cybersecurity measures, was essential
- Scalability was another major challenge – Large hospital systems with hundreds of locations wanted a single deployment
- Speed was critical – Given the healthcare imperative and demand, Bruin Biometrics needed to go to market quickly
Approach
Going cloud native to achieve security, scalability and performance
Bruin Biometrics started developing a SQL-based, on-premises application. They then approached Kainos to conduct a technical review to ensure the software would realize its objectives.
After analyzing the security, architecture, workflows and source code, we recommended a new approach – leveraging in-depth user research and a UX design-led, cloud-native methodology.
“The review process was extremely beneficial – not just for safety due diligence, but for shaping how we should scale the solution,” said Martin. “Thanks to Kainos, it became apparent that taking a new, cloud-first approach would deliver far greater value.”
Leveraging AWS technology, we then worked with Bruin Biometrics to create a cloud-native solution called Pressure Injury Prevention Personal Assistant (PIPPA™).
Effective integration helps improve patient outcomes
PIPPA consolidates pressure injury data from multiple sources into a single, comprehensive view.
The Provizio SEM Scanner is used to scan 3 critical areas: right heel, left heel and sacrum. This data is transmitted to PIPPA, where the dashboard presents real-time readings and trends. PIPPA even integrates with Patient Administration Systems (PAS) to incorporate admissions and discharge information, giving a holistic view of the patient journey.
As a result, healthcare providers have the insights needed to improve outcomes at patient, ward, hospital and even population levels. Time and effort is saved.
Results
A powerful solution that enables more efficient, equitable healthcare
PIPPA is a powerful digital solution that gives healthcare providers unprecedented insight into patient status, hospital trends and treatment efficacy. It has the potential to transform patient outcomes while empowering clinicians to deliver more efficient, equitable care.
Bruin Biometrics is now at the forefront of data-driven digital healthcare, demonstrating that technology can bridge the gap between detection and prevention – ultimately leading to better, fairer healthcare for everyone.
An overwhelmingly positive response from healthcare providers and nurse informatics groups
PIPPA is HIPAA compliant, and SOC2 and HITRUST audits are currently in progress. Once the audits are complete, PIPPA will launch within hospitals.
In the meantime, the response from healthcare professionals has been overwhelmingly positive. With a pipeline of over 40 major US healthcare groups ready to deploy PIPPA, Bruin Biometrics is positioned for strong market entry once compliance is finalized.
Moreover, nurse informatics groups – a critical stakeholder in hospital decision-making – have responded enthusiastically to the automated reporting on protocol compliance, one of the greatest challenges they face. “For the first time, hospitals will have complete visibility into what’s happening at the bedside,” explained Martin. “By using PIPPA to track protocol adherence and patient trends, healthcare providers can take more proactive, data-driven steps to improve patient outcomes.”
Positioning PIPPA for long-term success
The collaboration with Kainos and AWS has shaped the Bruin Biometrics business model and strategy. Martin concluded: “The decisions we made together will have multi-million-dollar impacts. The end-to-end support provided by Kainos – from product development to security and managed services – has been instrumental in positioning us for long-term success.”
PIPPA has a robust development roadmap. This includes using generative AI to recommend best-practice pressure injury interventions based on real-time patient data, as well as other innovations that streamline workflows and free up nurses to focus on patient care.