CHALLENGE: Develop a device for trackable, accountable disposal of excess medication with detailed reporting.
SERVICES: Insights, Industrial Design, Engineering, IoT Enablement, Prototyping, Sourcing, Manufacturing
PRESS: Crain’s Cleveland Business
SUCCESS: The VIEW™ is a high-tech cart that validates compliance with medication-wasting procedures in hospitals.
The ongoing opioid crisis spurred MIDAS Healthcare Solutions to collaborate with Nottingham Spirk to develop a high-tech system that effectively eliminates opportunities for drug diversion in hospitals. The project required advanced electrical engineering, integrated IoT for data collection, and an intuitive, durable design. The result is the VIEW™, an integrated cart and system that captures video of disposal transactions, enforces dual authentication, and chemically neutralizes medications.
Given that approximately 10% of U.S. healthcare workers engage in the misuse of controlled substances, diversion – the illicit transfer of these substances from lawful to unlawful channels – has been a key concern in addressing the opioid epidemic. The VIEW (Verified Institutional Environment for Wasting) eliminates the reliance on the honor system, with accountability protocols and data capture for a more reliable and comprehensive solution that offers proof of compliance.
Initial field research conducted by our insights team revealed that existing anti-diversion and disposal solutions relied heavily on human behavior. Their findings were critical in uncovering the need for a system with visual accountability, personnel accountability, and data collection to address the gaps in the current system. These insights resulted in the Anytime Witness™ feature – a game-changing technology that eliminates the need for a second person to act as a witness.
Guided by learnings in the Discover phase, our industrial design team designed the VIEW system for stability and durability, allowing for the integration of cameras and a disposal system. Ergonomic studies helped determine the optimal height and placement of features. Additional configurations were designed for retail settings, further expanding the product platform.
The engineering of the VIEW required designing and developing complex and reliable electrical systems that capture video, offer a scanning function, and integrate with a cloud platform for data retrieval and storage. The mechanical engineering had to be robust enough to withstand the rigors of daily use in a healthcare setting. A “looks-life/works-like” prototype was built in-house by our engineering and prototyping teams for both internal and user testing.
BENEFITS
The VIEW is slated for deployment at hospitals in New York, Indiana, and Tennessee.
A CONNECTED CONSUMER MEDICAL DEVICE TO IMPROVE MEDICATION ADHERENCE RATES
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