I met Nadine Levick, MD, at Datapalooza in June. She is the research director and CEO of EMS Safety Foundation. It was one of those conversations during which most of my replies were, “Wow, I didn’t know that,” or “Really?” She told me about her Foundation and its work to modernize the design of the ambulance and make it safe for paramedics and EMTs. Although there is no one source of information for accidents involving ambulances, one report reviewed accidents from May 1, 2007 to April 30, 2009 and found that:
Of the 466 crashes examined, 358 resulted in injuries to prehospital personnel, other vehicle occupants, patients being transported in the ambulance, or pedestrians. A total of 982 persons were injured as a result of ambulance crashes during the time period. Prehospital personnel were the most likely to be injured. Provider safety can and should be improved by ambulance vehicle redesign and the development of improved occupant safety restraints.
Now Levick has launched a crowdfunded project to bring the new design closer to reality. INDEMO 1.0 is a demonstration project to create an open-source plan for a customizable rear compartment.
“It’s all designed around patient handling and patient transport, making sure that what you need to do can be done in the safest possible way,” Levick said. “And guess what, it’s cheaper too!”
Levick and operational ergonomist Chris Fitzgerald want to raise $25,000 in 80 days. So far they have $104 and four backers. Here is how the team describes the open-source ambulance:
The Ambulance Safety Innovation Design Module 1.0, Ambulance Safety INDEMO 1.0, is a unique hands-on model ambulance rear compartment that is configurable so you can get the feel of being in a cutting-edge rig. Integrating innovations from around the world for the North American market.
- Designs so that you can do your work with optimum safety and efficiency
- Based on state of the art science and practice and input from the world’s leading experts in automotive safety and human factors
- Designs to meet requirements of NFPA, KKK and CEN
- Designs that are cheaper, better, safer
A Deep-dive Into Specialty Pharma
A specialty drug is a class of prescription medications used to treat complex, chronic or rare medical conditions. Although this classification was originally intended to define the treatment of rare, also termed “orphan” diseases, affecting fewer than 200,000 people in the US, more recently, specialty drugs have emerged as the cornerstone of treatment for chronic and complex diseases such as cancer, autoimmune conditions, diabetes, hepatitis C, and HIV/AIDS.
What do you get in exchange for supporting the project?
We want to release the knowledge to build INDEMO ambulances around the world — the future you can have now. But we also want to be able to provide exclusive access to this information set as a reward for participating in this crowd funding project. As a compromise is to use an “Open Source Eventually” license for the data.
If you contribute $150 to this campaign we will provide you with exclusive access to the INDEMO blueprints for six months — the price will double immediately after the crowdfunding campaign. At $500 we will provide 3-D CAD drawings for INDEMO before the price doubles immediately after the crowdfunding campaign. While your organization can wait 1 year to access the plans for free under the “Open Source Licensing” agreement, the advantages to getting the data in advance are extensive and exciting!
