Participants in IPI's Catalyst Program Develop Solutions for Unplanned Extubations in Babies and Children
Boston, MA (PRWEB) June 20, 2017 -- This year, participants in the Institute for Pediatric Innovation’s (IPI) Clinical Innovation Catalyst program focused on finding product improvements that could reduce the occurrence of unplanned extubations (UEs).
Pediatric patients have tubes placed in their throats when they need help breathing or to provide medication. Sometimes, patient movement can cause unplanned extubations which is when these tubes become dislodged or removed, resulting in situations that can prolong treatment or even become life threatening.
In addition to increased treatment time and potential airway trauma, these conditions can add an average of 6.5 days to a hospital stay and up to $37,000 per case in pediatrics.
IPI’s Catalyst program, a professional education experience and training program for nurses and allied health professionals, addresses hospital acquired conditions to improve safety and outcome. Innovation concepts are developed based upon these clinicians’ vast experience, education, practice and input from patients, families and other caregivers to generate new devices and technology for pediatric hospitals. Each year, IPI’s member hospitals choose a new hospital acquired condition on which to focus.
Selected participants from member hospitals— Shriners Hospital for Children Northern California, Stanford Children’s Health, Texas Children’s Hospital and University Hospitals Rainbow Babies & Children’s Hospital—participate in four workshops, each focused on a different aspect of the innovation process. At the conclusion of the four workshops, participants deliver fully developed product concepts.
During this year’s cycle, the team of three respiratory therapists, two nurses and one parent developed three product concepts: ShapeTape, HoldET and Flo-Frame to reduce the outcome of UEs.
The first product concept presented was ShapeTape, a precut therapeutic kinesiology tape used to stabilize the endotracheal tube. This durable tape, adapted from other healthcare uses, is specially precut to adapt to a baby’s face and withstands patient movement and adverse environments. Participants assessed the business opportunity, noting its lower cost against competitors and potential to decrease UEs by 20%.
HoldET reinvents an existing endotracheal tube holder by adding adjustable straps to securely fit pediatric patients. The product will decrease UEs by an estimated 10%.
The final product concept, Flo-Frame, included improved fixation of the tubes to the patients, a re-invention of current tube holder design and system to more easily move with the patient. It is estimated that the device will decrease UEs by as much as 10%.
The product concepts highlight participant dedication to finding effective solutions to the many challenges encountered in pediatric hospitals. “This program enables bedside providers to make smart, significant and most of all, useful changes to well-known healthcare problems,” said Catalyst participant Jennifer Michals.
The Clinical Innovation Catalyst program is open to all Children’s Hospitals. If you are interested in joining the IPI Consortium of Children’s Hospitals and become a part of cutting-edge technology, we urge you to call the Institute at 617-850-9060.
About IPI
The Institute for Pediatric Innovation (IPI) was founded as a nonprofit 501(c)3 corporation in 2006. The institute is managed and led by a consortium of pediatric hospitals, who, together with IPI staff, provide deep expertise in pediatric medical device and medicine innovation. IPI is managed and led by a consortium of pediatric hospitals from around the United States. Their expertise is joined by experts from all sectors to identify problem areas and create novel solutions and a worldwide network of collaborators to assist in translating innovations into commercially available solutions.
Leanora Karnath, Institute For Pediatric Innovation, Inc., http://www.pediatricinnovation.org/, +1 6178509059, [email protected]
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