Project Overview
The control, monitoring and regular review of indwelling devices such as urinary catheters and intravenous access devices can reduce the incidence of healthcare-associated infections. However, in high-paced environments such as hospital wards, this procedure can be easily forgotten or neglected in preference of more urgent tasks.
Health professionals face conflicting pressures and disrupted workflows as priorities change. Solutions in such environments need to be highly reliable, simple to use, safe for patients, and well-integrated into existing workflow processes to ensure maximum efficiency and results.
Timertag is an innovative system for infection control and compliance of indwelling devices in the health-care industry. Designed as a re-usable device, Timertag provides excellent results at a fraction of the cost of existing disposable solutions, with significant benefits for patient wellbeing, hospital expenses, and environmental impacts. A patient with an indwelling device has a TimerTag attached either with the inbuilt magnets or by adhesive tape to a surface on or near their bed. Each Timertag has a pre-set countdown timer. The timer can be activated by holding the main button for 2 seconds and can be stopped at any time during the countdown process by holding the button for 2 seconds. Upon completion of the countdown, a red LED light will blink intermittently to indicate that the patient needs their device checked. The Timertag can then be reset for reuse.
Project Commissioner
Project Creator
Team
In 2013 an Infectious Disease Physician in Australia recognised the need for an alert to remind nurses to review peripheral intravenous catheters to prevent bloodstream infections. After discussing this with a colleague, and after failing to find an off-the-shelf solution, they decided to develop one themselves. They formed a company and Timertag was created.
LX is an innovative electronics design company specialising in the design of embedded systems and wireless technologies. They offer clients a professional turnkey experience, taking a new idea from concept, through to design and production. They focus on understanding all aspects of clients' requirements (both technical and business), providing tailored solutions to ensure requirements are met on time and within budget.
Project Context
TimerTag was initially create as a disposable device, however this meant that there was considerable expense for healthcare providers as well as contributing to the generation of waste in hospitals. Given the importance of regular checks for patient wellbeing LX was commissioned to create a reusable version of the device that would have an extended lifespan with multiple reuses during that period. Several additional improvements to the original were also commissioned, including improved cleanability, the reduction of cost and waste, and an end-of-life solution for recycling.
Project Innovation
Both the disposable and re-usable Timertags were a first on the world stage.
There is no comparable product. The disposable Timertag was a resounding success. Even though the cost of replacement was a significant barrier for many hospitals, it still garnered attention from key infection prevention leaders around the world and drove interest in a reusable version of the device. The cost per patient of the reusable device is measured in cents, creating opportunities for low-resourced hospitals and medical environments to purchase the device.
Timertag can assist hospitals in their efforts to reduce preventable fatal infections, saving countless lives. This has already been demonstrated through the disposable Timertag. Timertag is a new, re-usable version of the existing disposable Timertag, which proved highly successful and effective in improving patient outcomes. It provides the same excellent results, while introducing additional features to simplify and enhance patient care.
Design Challenge
Timertag underwent CE marking in Germany and is certified as a Class 1 medical device. The size and form factor make the fully sealed device difficult to swallow. It contains only symbols on the face for clear communication, regardless of language or literacy skills, allowing it to be distributed worldwide without changes the device.
The Timertag underwent significant design development to ensure its ease of use. A single button is pressed and held to activate and deactivate the device. The front panel can be written on using whiteboard marker and cleaned using all types of disinfectant surface wipes. The product is attached magnetically, allowing for cleaning and re-allocation. When not in use, the Timertag can be flipped over to hide the front face to indicate it is not activated.
Timertag has an advantage over alerts within electronic medical records or paper checklists due to its integration into the workflow process of health professionals. Current electronic alerts occur at the nurse’s stations, whereas Timertag alerts staff when they are already with the patient. It acts as a gentle reminder with no audio alerts or alarms, reducing stress for patients and staff. By keeping the alert at the bedside, patients, families and friends can become engaged in patient care, acting as a further safeguard to compliance.
Sustainability
Both the mechanical and electrical components of Timertag have been refined and streamlined in order to remove any superfluous cost or waste. The components are simple, but incredibly reliable, ensuring maximum lifespan and minimum failures during the use phase. The Timertag provides benefits for patients and hospitals but is also designed to minimize its environmental impact. Distributors of the Timertags are not only responsible to delivering new units, but for collecting units that have surpassed their battery life. Each unit has a lifespan of 53 weeks, meaning that only a single distribution/collection trip is required per year. Used units are delivered to a local e-waste recycling depot, where they are fully recycled; Timertag was designed from the start to be fully recyclable in standard facilities. Timertag has future plans to develop a closed-loop recycling system to further reduce the impact of the device.
Social and Community-Oriented Design - Object
Social design applies a design methodology and intervention to tighten the social fabric that holds us together. Addressing issues of social inequality, such as poverty or social isolation, social design is the pathway to a more just and sustainable society. Community-oriented design is a human-centered and participatory design practice that emphasises the betterment of local communities through the improvement of public facilities, equipment, identity and experience.
The object category celebrates creative and innovative design for an object or product. Consideration is given according to the design context and need, design innovation and the application of human centred design principles.
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