Inspiration
Frequently innovation is the result of slow methodical efforts to improve a product, process, or experience. However, sometimes innovation can also strike like lightning. When it does, it is important to make certain that important steps are not overlooked in the excitement of a new solution. Here are some of the steps we used to guide this innovation project.
Understand the Context
Providing a brilliant solution is wasted if it does not consider the context of the problem. The problem is an opportunity only if the innovative solution is applied. This is where psychology, sociology, human factors engineering, and active observation can influence the value of a particular solution. Simple elements such as how a problem is framed can have far-reaching consequences for the innovation process.
This project began with an active observation exercise. When an insight indicated that IV pole management was difficult and potentially unsafe additional information was required. Subject matter experts in the Patient Transport, Bio-Medical Engineering, and Quality Improvement departments were consulted for additional insights. These staff interviews confirmed the problem and offered useful anecdotes for further consideration and analysis.
Clarify the Problem
In project management, chasing an improvement can lead to exaggerated requirements if the core problem is not firmly stated. Such a distortion is called scope creep, and it can lead a project to include unnecessary features or incur expensive design or production costs. Therefore is it essential to focus on the most important elements of the problem first and state them simply.
In the hospital patient transport is an essential part of healthcare management. Often this includes patients being transported while undergoing some type of intravenous transfusion. These transfusions use gravity and occasionally electric pumps. Both the IV packaging and electric pumps are supported by an adjustable pole which is mounted on a mobile wheeled base.
In addition to being mobile, these poles are often top-heavy. Many of these poles are five to six feet tall and have two to six hooks at the top of the device. Electric pumps are stacked above waist height for easy access and monitoring. This combination of weight distribution and movement has an increased risk of tipping over.
Managing complex care can be physically difficult. This combination of complexity and risk has the potential to adversely affect the patients receiving care. Patients are by definition in a vulnerable condition, more so if they require intravenous interventions. If an IV pole were to fall while connected to a patient, it is possible that the event could set back treatment or even cause damage to the patient.
Create a Problem Statement
After the problem has been reduced to a simple observation, a single statement should encapsulate the dilemma to be addressed. It can be difficult to be succinct especially if the problem has several distinct facets to it. In this case, the problem statement was limited to two elements patient transport vehicles and IV poles.
Transporting patients who are undergoing intravenous intervention is an essential part of healthcare delivery that can increase potential harm to the patient due to a greater risk of IV pole instability during transport.
This simple sentence narrows the scope of the project, focuses innovation efforts, and allows others to quickly understand the necessity of the project. Other examples of a problem statement may also include the numerical size of the problem or specific harm caused to the patient, but this statement is a sufficient starting point to begin guiding the project and clarify significant constraints.
Clarify the Constraints
Primary Constraints directly address the elements presented in the problem statement. For this project, the three primary constraints are patient transport, management of IV medications, and patient well-being. All constraints should be clarified into directional terms such as maximize, minimize, or stay the same. In this context, all three constraints should be maximized.
Secondary Constraints address the quality of the solution. These constraints help to evaluate the relative ranking of alternative solutions. This insight allows for a tiebreaker when two or more solutions are too similar to discern a clear optimal configuration. These types of constraints should be considered after the primary constraints have been addressed. For this project the secondary constraints are: attach to existing equipment, Easy to install and remove without tools, easy to clean repeatedly, compact storage configuration, easy to carry, and easy to operate.
Both the primary and secondary constraints can be divided into sub-categories. This procedure provides a useful structure in assessing the quality of how well each constraint is satisfied by a given solution. It is also important to follow up with the subject matter experts to review how the constraints were included. They can also provide great insights into the inclusion and distribution of items in the sub-categories of the constraints.
This pdf file contains the full list of constraints collectively developed by various subject matter experts and innovators. Not only does this list provide a blueprint for product design it also provides a stopping point for the first version of the innovation. This list is a necessary step for project documentation too, as it provides a record of when an element was added and by whom. These are two details that provide even more value as the project progresses.
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