{"id":1384,"date":"2018-07-10T21:14:00","date_gmt":"2018-07-10T21:14:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/navyblue.bcmultistaging.wpenginepowered.com\/?p=1384"},"modified":"2025-12-05T23:45:33","modified_gmt":"2025-12-05T23:45:33","slug":"lorem-ipsem-dolor-test-post","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.bcchr.ca\/dhil\/2018\/07\/10\/lorem-ipsem-dolor-test-post\/","title":{"rendered":"VitalPAD: An innovative app that could improve care for critically ill kids"},"content":{"rendered":"

In the pediatric ICU (PICU), expert clinicians care for the most critically ill patients.\u00a0To give kids recovering from major surgeries and traumatic injuries and those with cancer, congenital heart defects and other life-threatening conditions the best chance at a full recovery, these dedicated health care professionals must be expert multitaskers in a demanding and complex environment. They\u2019re continuously providing hands-on care, monitoring and collecting information from multiple, state-of-the-art devices, and working with colleagues across the unit.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n

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\n\t\t\tWhat if we could make their jobs a little easier by bringing together critical medical information and facilitating team communication in one simple app?\t\t<\/p>\n\t<\/blockquote>\n\t

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That\u2019s the idea behind the VitalPAD, a new tablet computer app that integrates readings from multiple medical devices on one display and includes tools to help clinicians share information. <\/p>\n\n

\u201cOur ultimate aim with VitalPAD is to help clinicians access the information they need to do their jobs as quickly and effectively as possible,\u201d says Dr. Matthias G\u00f6rges<\/a>, a BC Children\u2019s Hospital investigator who led the development of VitalPAD. \u201cIn new state-of-the-art PICUs like the one at the Teck Acute Care Centre at BC Children\u2019s, rooms are significantly larger to improve care by providing more space for equipment and large teams of health care providers. This makes an innovative tool like VitalPAD even more valuable.\u201d<\/p>\n\n

Dr. G\u00f6rges and his colleagues recently published a paper about the development of VitalPAD in the IEEE Journal of Translational Engineering in Health and Medicine<\/em><\/a>.<\/p>\n\n

To guide the development of VitalPAD, researchers consulted with clinicians from the BC Children\u2019s PICU and observed them in their day to day activities to gather information about how these health care teams work, communicate and make treatment decisions. They also spoke to clinicians about their workflow issues and needs. <\/p>\n\n

The research team then created a mockup of VitalPAD, shared it with clinicians and improved it based on their feedback. They conducted further testing by asking the clinician participants to evaluate the app in five different scenarios based on real situations that occur in the PICU.<\/p>\n\n

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\n\t\t\tIn order for VitalPAD to succeed and improve care for patients, it must be tailored to the needs of the caregivers who will use it every day.ommunication in one simple app?\t\t<\/p>\n\t<\/blockquote>\n\t

\n\t\t\u2013 Dr. Matthias G\u00f6rges\t<\/figcaption>\n<\/figure><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n

\u201cIt was crucial to include the perspectives of PICU clinicians as we developed VitalPAD,\u201d says Dr. G\u00f6rges. \u201cIn order for VitalPAD to succeed and improve care for patients, it must be tailored to the needs of the caregivers who will use it every day.\u201d<\/p>\n\n

The VitalPAD prototype combines information from multiple devices on a tablet computer app in order to bring together a range of patient data and improve clinical decision-making, communication and patient safety. The app includes:<\/p>\n\n