Health Devices Achievement Award Winners Circle
Honoring excellence in the field of health technology management
The Health Devices Achievement Award is presented each year to an ECRI member institution that has demonstrated an outstanding initiative that improves patient safety, reduces costs, or otherwise facilitates better strategic management of health technology. For more information about how the winners are determined or how to apply for consideration, visit the award rules page.
2020 Award Winner
Lower Mainland Biomedical Engineering & Vancouver Coastal Health, Vancouver, BC, Canada
Joint Investigation of Overinfusion Incidents Has a Global Impact
Through persistence and sound investigative practices, a team representing two healthcare organizations in British Columbia, Canada, identified the cause of potentially fatal overinfusions involving a commonly used brand of infusion pump. Staff from Lower Mainland Biomedical Engineering, which is part of the Provincial Health Services Authority, and Vancouver Coastal Health joined forces to investigate dozens of overinfusion events in healthcare facilities across British Columbia.
After months of examining possible causes, communicating with concerned staff, and searching for evidence, the investigation team had a breakthrough when nurses identified incidents of unintentional medication flow and followed the procedures outlined by the team to secure the equipment. A collaborative examination of the infusion system—a process that involved the investigation team, the infusion pump manufacturer, and ECRI—revealed that the infusion tubing was a contributing factor toward the uncontrolled flow. Closer inspection showed that the tubing wall was thicker on one side of the lumen than the other. The result: When the tubing was oriented a specific way within the pump, the increased wall thickness on one side could prevent the pump from fully occluding the tubing as intended, thus allowing flow.
This discovery eventually led to a global recall affecting hundreds of millions of tubing sets. It also may help explain years of unexplained overdeliveries of medications with this brand of infusion pump. The team's evidence-driven investigation improved patient safety not only within their area of responsibility, but throughout the world, earning the organizations top honors in ECRI's 2020 Health Devices Achievement Award competition.
Finalists
- Memorial Healthcare System—Miramar, FL
Automating Patient Weight Documentation—Memorial Healthcare System's Project to Reduce Weight-Based Medication Errors - NewYork-Presbyterian Queens—Flushing, NY
Transforming Pharmacy Compounding Practice—NewYork-Presbyterian Queens Improves Medication Safety through Technology Implementation
2019 Award Winner
Penn Medicine, Philadelphia, PA
Developing an App to Promote More Rapid Weaning from Mechanical Ventilation and Sedation
Finalists
- John Muir Health—Walnut Creek, CA
Developing an AEM Database: John Muir Health's Approach to Establishing an Alternative Equipment Maintenance Program - Parkview Health—Fort Wayne, IN
Perioperative Supply Management: Parkview Health Automates Its Inventory Management Process - U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), New England Healthcare System—Bedford, MA
Alternative Equipment Maintenance Plan: The VA New England Healthcare System Streamlines Its PM Program
Other Commended Entries
- Banner Health—Chandler, AZ
Developing an In-House Medical Physics Program: Banner Health's Initiative to Streamline Processes and Standardize Protocols - Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center—New York, NY
Transitioning from a Homegrown to a Commercial Medical Device Management System: Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center Meets the Challenge - St. Luke's Health System—Boise, ID
Credentialing Industry Reps in the OR: St. Luke's Health System Uses EHR Data to Drive Process Improvements
2018 Award Winner
Boston Medical Center, Boston, MA
Postoperative Pulmonary Care Smartphone App
Finalists
- Boston Medical Center─Boston, MA
Identifying and Responding to Clinically Decompensating Patients—Implementing an EMR-Based Early Warning System - Einstein Healthcare Network─Philadelphia, PA
Reducing IV Contrast Extravasations during CT Examinations—Validating a New Approach - St. Luke's Medical Center─Quezon City, Philippines
Coping with Delivery Delays and High Supply Costs in the Philippines—Establishing a Medical Equipment Accessories Management Program - U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) National Healthcare Technology Management Program Office─Bedford, MA
Improving Cybersecurity Management—Implementing a Networked Medical Device Database - U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Veterans Health Administration (VHA)
Configuring Blood Glucose Monitors to Reduce the Risk of Treatment Errors—Conducting a Simulation Study
2017 Award Winner
Penn Medicine Center for Healthcare Innovation, Philadelphia, PA
Designing Custom Apps to Improve Patient Care
Finalists
- Norton Healthcare─Louisville, KY
Strategic Planning in the Clinical Engineering Realm - Service New Brunswick─Fredericton, NB, Canada
IPM Completion Rates: Hitting the Mark with 100 Percent - St. Luke's Health System─Boise, ID
A "Role Model" Approach to Creating a Highly Reliable Recall Management Program
2016 Award Winner
Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX
Finalists
- Banner Health─Phoenix, AZ
How a Safe Surgery Program Can Reduce Serious Reportable Events and Assist Supply Chain Decision Making for RFID Technology - Boston Medical Center─Boston, MA
Clinical Alarm Task Force - Cooper University Health Care─Camden, NJ
Partnership between Supply Chain and Process Improvement: An Optimal Structure - University of Pittsburgh Medical Center─Pittsburgh, PA
Medical Equipment Fleet Analysis: An Objective and Centralized Approach to Equipment Replacement
2014 Award Winner
Christiana Care Health System, Wilmington, DE
Finalists
- Banner Health─Phoenix, AZ
Bed Standards and Human Factors Usability Studies Utilized for Bed Purchasing Decisions - Cedars-Sinai Medical Center─Los Angeles, CA
Optimizing Patient Safety: A Centralized Cardiac Monitoring Center (Cockpit) - Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia─Philadelphia, PA
Using Video to Evaluate Physiologic Monitor Alarm Characteristics and Nurse Responses to Alarms - Geisinger Health System─Danville, PA
Objective Assessment of Incoming Clinical Technology & Devices - U.S. Army Western Regional Medical Command─Joint Base Lewis-McChord, WA
Nomenclature Standardization Initiative (NSI)
2013 Award Winner
Methodist Hospital of Southern California, Arcadia, CA
Finalists
- Boston Medical Center─Boston, MA
Telemetry Task Force Alarm Reduction Strategies - Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario─Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Implementation of an Effective Clinical Technology Management Program - Geisinger Health System─Danville, PA
Clinical Capital Technology--Assessment, Planning and Optimization - Halton Healthcare Services─Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Implementation of an Electronic Positive Patient Identification System for Specimen Collection - Novant Health─Winston-Salem, NC
Clinical Equipment Management Program - Parkview HealthSystem─Fort Wayne, IN
Supply Chain Management Performance Improvement