Find out about VTi, read our Frequently Asked Questions

Can I ask how it differentiates between a high temperature and the temperature fluctuations in menopausal women?

The VTi has proven to be beneficial in managing conditions that have the symptom of high or fluctuating temperature allowing for early intervention, but during the trials of the VTi, persons going through the menopause did not cause the VTi to react during a hot flush. However, discretion should always be used with pre-diagnosed conditions. A person’s external skin temperature normally drops then rises during a menopausal hot flush. External skin temperature can rise temporarily but research shows temperatures rarely exceed the range of 37.5°c to 38°c during a hot flush, which means the reaction point of the VTi is not reached.

A hot flush should only last for a short period of time, so in the unlikely event that a VTi reaction point was reached and did not return to green once over (average of 10-15 minutes), it may indicate a fever or high temperature could be the cause of the reaction and further checks should be made.

Why would I want to wear that, it’s unattractive?

There is nothing more attractive than a healthy person. No one looks their best when they are poorly. Our predicament is the only thing that is truly unattractive and the priority right now for all of us is to remain healthy.

There have not been any reports back from people trialling the VTi saying ‘people found them unattractive’. In fact, people were more interested to know what it is, and once they are educated on its purpose, they normally take a step closer, and it would be wrong to think that something that can help bring us back together would in any way make a person less attractive.

I do not want my family member to wear it, it is undignified. What if people start avoiding them?

We are all having to avoid each other right now and there is nothing more undignified than our current situation. The VTi’s sole purpose is early indication and that allows for early intervention. Not wanting a family member to wear a VTi means a high temperature could go unnoticed for a prolonged period. It could also potentially lead to medical conditions worsening and other people or family members becoming unwell.

A high temperature is a primary symptom for many different illnesses, and I do not think anyone would want a family members health or comfort to be put in jeopardy. If there was a simple indicator to help monitor the temperature welfare of a family member and assist in getting them the care, they require quicker, personally I would not hesitate in wanting my loved ones to benefit from this technology.

What are its credentials? Does it have medical certification / classification?

The VTi has been rigorously tested by leading companies in the field of medial product testing, both internationally and in the U.K. It has undergone all the required tests to confirm its safe, uses certified materials and reacts at the heat ranges stated.

If it cannot be used to diagnose my symptoms, what is the point in wearing it?

A high temperature is a primary symptom for many different illnesses including Covid-19. The reading of a person’s temperature is normally one of the first things medical professional will assess when diagnosing an individual’s health to help identify the problem.

Early indication means early intervention and the sooner the reason behind the temperature rise is investigated and understood. The sooner appropriate medial steps can be applied.

Surely by the time my temperature rises, it is too late.

It confirms to you or others in real-time that your temperature is normal or elevated. A temperature can also rise in stages over time as your body fights infection. A high temperature is one of the most common symptoms that a person will ignore or continue to soldier on with. Sometimes a person will go days without investigating a raised temperature and this could cause an underlying condition to get worse or spread infection to others.

People with limited capacity and young children might not be able to inform others that they are feeling unwell with a high temperature. A simple indicator that confirms a normal or high temperature range will aid many in their ability to provide the correct support to look after their loved ones, staff, customers, or people that are their responsibility should their temperature health change.

The VTi will indicate in real-time if a person’s body temperature is changing and award valuable time to confirm with further healthcare checks the underlying health condition.

If it is meant as an aid to help identify early symptoms, what happens if I’m asymptomatic?

There are few reports of confirmed cases who are truly asymptomatic, and to date, there has been no documented asymptomatic transmission (WTO 9/7/20). This aside, the VTi works in line with any other temperature reading equipment that would also not be able to identify an asymptomatic person. It will always be an advantage to identify the changing temperature for people that are not asymptomatic and that is most of us. Anyone one of us could encounter an asymptomatic person going about our daily lives. It is going to be part of life from now on, but if transmission of an illness did take place early intervention is key.

Will this mean that carers will not be carrying their regular routine health checks on my loved one?

This could not be further from the truth. Healthcare checks are a mandatory routine in care, it is what the industry does best. The VTi brings an additional layer of protection for your loved ones when traditional equipment is not in use. Once a health check has taken place the VTi will continue to monitor around the clock and enable staff, family, and friends to keep an eye out for one another’s wellbeing.

In fact, I would go as far as to say that the VTi brings greater efficiencies and safeguarding to people in a care setting, both staff and residents. A love one could have a health check at 9am, by 10am they could have a deterioration in health which causes a high temperature. Staff, family, and other residents can look out for one another and make sure that individual gets the attention they require and immediately.

In addition, some in care do not have the capacity to inform others that they are not feeling well. The VTi will let staff know if that person’s temperature is normal or high, and if high they can respond in real time with care and support.

The VTi could be considered as an additional member of the care team, but its only job is to always monitor your loved one’s temperature health and alert others if there is a change.

Surely, it is not as accurate as a traditional thermometer? How can we avoid people becoming over reliant on it?

The VTi has been extensively tested and the results from frontline trials have shown it has indicated accurately on people that have developed a high temperature. At the point of noticing a changing VTi traditional equipment has been used to confirm temperatures and testing would award a similar accuracy range to that of a thermometer.

The key difference of a VTi is that it continues to monitor temperature health when traditional equipment is not in use. It will also indicate when a person’s temperature returns to a normal range.

What if other symptoms are missed/ignored while waiting for the VTI to record a change in temperature?

The VTi makes no claims other than its ability to react to a rise in a person’s temperature. Whilst a high temperature is a primary symptom of many illnesses and infections. If you have any other symptoms you should always seek further medical advice or health checks.

What are its credentials? Does it have medical certification / classification?

Please see the specification section of the website for more information.

What if my temperature changes while I’m in a group / out and about? Won’t that cause unnecessary panic?

The VTi will not protect you from unaware people. A high temperature is a primary indicator for many illnesses and if a person’s VTI indicates a high temperature it could be hundreds of underlying reasons.

It is our recommendation that you all help each other and if someone is displaying a red VTi please do your best to aid them. It takes little effort to enquire as to a person’s wellbeing and if can assist them to seek further support whilst respecting social distancing.

How can we avoid the VTI leading to blame culture? (i.e. if you’re out and about and temperature changes?)

Just remember the VTi is looking out for you even if some people are not. Blame culture is sadly part of everyday life and normally a by-product of the ill-informed or scared. We are all accountable for the situation we find ourselves in, and without strong assertive action our problems only get worse. The priority is your health and wellbeing and getting yourself the right support is more important, so focus your attention on that.

Is it waterproof? What happens when I sweat / shower?

It is water resistant and can be worn whilst washing. Extreme sweating or strong direct water flow could have a potential impact on the adhesive and discolour the material. The VTi can be easily removed prior to taking a shower or bath, but again this could have an impact on the adhesive when reapplying. The VTi is very similar to a plaster.

Can I still wear make-up with the patch?

You can, but please remember make-up has chemicals and oils in so it can have an impact on adhesive and discolour the fabric quicker. Our recommendation is that you apply the VTi to clean dry skin for the best results.

What happens if the patch isn’t applied properly?

The VTi disc can be adjusted if required. Our recommendation is that you take the time to position and apply the VTi carefully to ensure the best accuracy and comfort.

Social distancing means carers can’t help applying it.

No, this is not factual. Care staff can apply the VTi or assist people in applying their own. Care staff are always in close contact with the people they care for and will help with any task that requires assistance, but always adhering to strict guidelines.

What if the weather is hot - won’t this affect the reading?

A healthy body will self-regulate its temperature even in the hottest of climates, but consideration must be given to the function of the VTi. The VTi can be impacted by extreme heat if exposed for a prolonged period because it is reactive to temperature.

If a VTi turns red and you are in a hot climate, firstly seek shade and hydrate. If you have not got a high temperature the VTi will revert to its original colour and this will indicate that reaction has been caused by exposure to extreme sunlight. The VTi has not yet been tested in extreme climates.

What happens when I’m sleeping? Can I still wear the patch?

Yes, the VTi will monitor your body temperature day and night. There is no reason a VTi cannot be worn whilst sleeping.

What happens if I’m colour blind?

The distinctive VTi cross design is two different sizes and thicknesses. The thermochromic green cross is thicker and covers the red when a temperature is normal. When a temperature rises above 37.5c the thermochromic reaction takes place and reveals the red cross that is significantly finer than the thicker green cross.

We understand this means a person that is colour blind would need to spend time to familiarise themselves with the differences in sizes. This is not ideal, and we acknowledge there is more that can be done to improve the VTi for people with sight challenges. This will not stop the wearer of a VTi being supported by others if their VTi changes colour, but we fully understand that a person that is colour blind might have difficulties helping others.

In time we will be looking to introduce different variations of the VTi.

If it's recommended to be changed daily, this could be a large cost to the provider, especially if it is a large residential setting?

Our recommendation for daily use is principally based on hygiene reasons but a VTI is a durable piece of technology that can be worn for longer periods if you choose. We understand first-hand the financial challenges faced in the care sector and know the benefits that the VTi has brought to the frontline.

There is no greater cost to a care business, in fact, any business than the impact of illness spreading through its staff or clients. The VTi enables management, staff, and service users to all lookout for one another and award around the clock monitoring of everyone’s temperature health. Early intervention and the ability to react in real time means greater safeguarding efficiencies for care staff and residents alike.

My family member lives in supported living but I wouldn’t trust them to let someone know if the patch had changed colour. How can this be monitored?

Depending on the environment and the support received most can be assisted to understand the importance of the VTi and the job it does in monitoring their temperature health. The beauty of the VTi is everyone can lookout for each other’s interests. It is of course a choice, but support staff can always use a VTi alongside traditional equipment to allow a person to familiarise themselves with its purpose of adding an extra layer of protection.