AAMI Journal Profiles the Problem Solvers

Replacing manual blood pressure cuffs with automatic ones; changing the default settings on patient alarms; and updating antiquated infusion pumps following the merger of two hospitals—these were just three of the challenges tackled by healthcare professionals featured in a new BI&T (Biomedical Instrumentation & Technology) article titled “The Problem Solvers.”

In the January/February issue of BI&T, AAMI’s bimonthly, peer-reviewed journal, the cover story profiles 10 healthcare professionals who resolved difficult problems at their facilities. The story came about after AAMI asked members and a few nonmembers to nominate problem solvers who worked through difficult issues. Their experiences could serve as a model for other healthcare professionals facing similar problems.

Jeff Whalen, a biomedical supervisor at the Great Plains Regional Medical Center in North Platte, NE, was one of the people profiled. A former bucket-truck electrician, Whalen helped the members of the medical center’s Nursing Department who were experiencing pain as a result of using manually operated blood pressure cuffs on exercising patients. His solution: the “Pump-O-Matic,” which was operated by a 9-volt battery and momentary-on button. The nurses praised his creation, especially one who was thinking of quitting.

“They love it,” Whalen said of the nurses. “The nurse who thought she’d have to leave stayed on another five or six years before retiring, and they’re always asking us to build them more.”

Kate Hileman, the cardiology unit director at UPMC Presbyterian in Pittsburgh, PA, was profiled because of her work on reducing alarm fatigue, an important patient safety issue. Many of the alarms in her cardiology unit were sounding as a result of premature ventricular contractions, a common problem in heart patients. So, Hileman consulted with electrophysiologists on changing the defaults on the monitors. Her efforts paid off—the nursing staff was relieved by the reduced number of alarms, and patients seemed happier as well.

“We found that it’s really beneficial to look at those alarms that are giving you actionable information,” Hileman explained. “For us, the majority of our mid-level alarms were really not giving us information that we were acting upon.”

Also featured was Karen Howsare, director of Inpatient Nursing/Dialysis at the Western Maryland Regional Medical Center in Cumberland, MD, who worked to replace old infusion pumps following the merger of two hospitals. She cooperated with other department heads to ensure a smooth transition, safeguarding patient safety.

“Everyone, whether they were a pharmacist or a biomed or in IT or a nurse, had the same goal: to provide the best-quality patient care that they could.”

In addition to the problem solver profiles, this issue of BI&T covers a host of issues, and includes an overview of meaningful use and its impact on healthcare technology management.

BI&T has a readership of nearly 13,000, and is a benefit of AAMI membership. The award-winning journal is dedicated to the developers, managers, and users of medical devices and technology. For more information about BI&T and to see highlights from this issue, please go to: http://www.aami.org/publications/BIT.

AAMI, the Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation, is a nonprofit organization founded in 1967. It is a diverse community of nearly 7,000 healthcare technology professionals united by one important mission—supporting the healthcare community in the development, management, and use of safe and effective medical technology.