HTSI

Infusion Systems Safety Initiative

Infusion ReportInfusion pumps are one of the most widely used technologies in healthcare today. But infusion errors and pump failures can and have caused serious harm, and even death, to patients. Over a five-year period, more than 56,000 adverse events and 710 deaths associated with infusion devices were reported to FDA—more than for any other medical technology. During this period, there were 87 pump recalls.

To address these issues, AAMI and FDA partnered to host a summit in October 2010. The even facilitated extensive discussion between key stakeholders in order to set a clear direction for improving infusion systems safety. Today, under the HTSI umbrella, more than 100 committed individuals are continuing to pursue the ideas generated at that summit in pursuit of the goal that "no patient will be harmed by healthcare technology."

The challenges and actions are contained in the summit report, "Infusing Patients Safely: Priority Issues from the AAMI/FDA Infusion Device Summit."

Link here to Actions You Can Take Now to Improve Infusion Safety.

What's New?

Webinar on Infusion Pump-Information Network Integration

On January 23, 2013, HTSI is holding a webinar, "Best Practice Recommendations for Infusion Pump Information Network Integration." This webinar is presented by Erin Sparnon, MEng, Senior Project Engineer Health Devices Group, ECRI, and Todd Cooper, Breakthrough Solutions Foundry.

Comments to the National Quality Forum on the Report, Critical Paths for Creating Data Platforms: Patient Safety.

In August 2012, the National Quality Forum (NQF) posted a report assessing the readiness of electronic health record systems to capture data from infusion pumps for purposes of quality measurement and reporting.  This report referenced AAMI and HTSI.  Members of the HTSI Steering Committee on Infusion Systems developed a response and comments to this report during the 30 day public comment period. 

Multiple Line Management Working Group

The Multiple IV Infusion Study conducted by the Health Technology Safety Research Team (HTSRT) for the Ontario Health Technology Advisory Committee (OHTAC) had produced a summary of OHTAC's nine recommendations and provides a rationale as context for each recommendation. Please distribute the letter and attached materials to the appropriate staff in your facility and professional organizations.