FROM ABSTRACT TO IMPACT

“From Abstract to Impact” is so much more than a tagline to us. It is the very essence of what we do. Every project starts with an idea in an early abstract form. We approach projects with empathy and humility, and begin our process by engaging our colleagues on the frontlines to better understand the intimate details of the challenge from a variety of roles and vantage points. Once we break the challenge down, “from oak tree to toothpick,” we transition to ideating ‘how might we’ solve for it, bringing the lens of feasibility, desirability and viability to prioritize solutions. Importantly, we ask early on what success would look like solving the challenge identified.

While the challenges we are solving are within our own health system, we know the challenges we face at MGB are not unique. We also collaborate with healthcare professionals outside of MGB and across the United States to scale solutions when possible.

SUSTAINABLE IMPACT

The impact of our solutions are repeatable and sustainable. Our aim is to have a lasting impact on care, reducing costs and increasing effectiveness. Here we highlight 4 examples of our work:

Mobility Speedometer

Salem Hospital was the development site of our Mobility Speedometer, designed to help accelerate inpatient mobility. Working closely with nurse champions, the iterations of this intervention led to a reduction of 259 hospital days over the 3 month trial period and was scaled across the hospital’s entire 244 beds. We are now discussing Mobility Speedometer trials with new partners inside and outside MGB.

Hexapod Personal Protective Booth

During the pandemic we collaborated initially with the Newton Wellesley Hospital on developing the Hexapod which resulted in a 97% reduction in PPE usage, increased testing efficiency by up to 354%, and saved the healthcare system $1M+ per year per booth. We were awarded the prestigious Nathaniel Bowditch Award from the Mass General Board of Trustees for the Hexapod solution. The Hexapods were used for up to 3 years to aid with testing until demand substantially reduced. One Hexapod booth was preserved, signed by the team and moved to the MGH Russell Museum of Medical History and Innovation, in hopes there is never a need for it again!

Anti-fog Goggles

The Mass General Hospital ER was our partners in trialing a PPE eyewear innovation that used an anti-fogging polymer to keep PPE lenses clear. Interestingly this was another application of a solution we discovered during the development of the Hexapod. A study published in the peer-reviewed British Medical Journal found the negative clinical care impact of uncoated lenses was 5 times that of the coated lenses.

SheSolves Awards

Now in its second year, the SheSolves Awards provide a platform for female-led teams to develop original ideas to make healthcare more user-friendly for our providers, staff and patients. Each of the awarded teams receive a $25k grant and 12 months of support from our Springboard Studio team. The year of work culminates with Demo Day where teams present their solutions and make a pitch for resources they need to sustain their solution beyond the SheSolves Awards.

TO MAKE HEALTHCARE MORE USER-FRIENDLY

Everything we do serves this purpose. We believe it is at the heart of what drives the effectiveness of new interventions. The more user-friendly something has been designed to be, the easier it is to use which means it will be used more often. Ultimately we design solutions in real-world healthcare environments with frontline providers and patients.