The AAMI Foundation has announced the launch of a new program to address patient safety issues connected to infusion pumps. Developed in collaboration with industry partners, healthcare providers, and national organizations, the National Coalition for Infusion Therapy Safety will kick off March 12-13, 2015. The 2-day meeting is being led by the Foundation’s Healthcare Technology Safety Institute and will bring together clinicians, researchers, regulators, healthcare technology professionals, patient safety advocates, and industry executives to address key dangers associated with the delivery of intravenous therapies.
According to a statement, over the next 2 years healthcare experts “will develop data-driven strategies to overcome a lack of compliance with drug libraries, create educational resources for multiple line infusion therapy, and share methods to reduce non-clinically actionable infusion pump alarms.” At the first meeting, participants will examine results from a 3-year study of 10 hospitals that identified problems with infusion pumps and will hear from experts on topics such as how to improve compliance with drug libraries.
AAMI plans to roll out the campaign in two phases. Following the initial gathering, the association will “host webinars, develop publications, reach out to key opinion leaders, and create web-based directories for self-guided learning,” according to the press release. The campaign’s current industry partners include CareFusion, Hospira, Baxter, B Braun, PMD Solutions, Smiths Medical, Cerner, Fresenius Kabi, Ivenix, Star Luminal, LLC, and ZynoMedical.
The effort marks the latest push by AAMI to address several safety issues first identified in a report that emerged following a summit on infusion device safety held by AAMI and the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in October 2010.
“For years, the FDA has received reports of adverse events associated with infusion device therapy. However, it is believed that these reports don’t show the full scope of the problem,” said Marilyn Neder Flack, senior vice president of patient safety initiatives at AAMI and executive director of the AAMI Foundation. “During the 2010 summit, members of the healthcare technology community vowed to work together to confront this ongoing patient safety challenge. This campaign is the next step in combating this problem.”