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Premier Inc.
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Premier healthcare alliance creates catalog to identify devices and equipment specifically designated for pediatric patients
Premier also launches a Pediatric Safety Web site to help research the issues and access key resources
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (July 1, 2009) – The Premier healthcare alliance released a new comprehensive pediatric catalog to help member hospitals quickly and easily find products that are specifically designated for use with babies, children and adolescents. The 547-page catalog contains 8,713 items in 84 product categories representing 127 suppliers.
At the same time, Premier's Safety Institute also developed a publicly accessible Pediatric Safety Web site to provide a comprehensive collection of key resources, legislation and updates from governmental and professional organizations focused on improving the quality and safety of pediatric care. The Web site is intended to help the public better understand the issues around pediatric safety, providing a single resource of credible, expert information.
"All stages of pediatric growth and development – from preterm and newborn through adolescence – must be considered in providing safe and high quality care. This applies to medications, treatments and medical devices that are appropriate for patients in each stage of development," said Premier Safety Institute Vice President Gina Pugliese.
Pediatric patients have unique medical needs due to their size, increased susceptibility to infections and inability to administer their own medications. But unless products are clearly designated for pediatric use, clinicians have difficulty identifying those that are appropriate for use in their care. The catalog is designed to help hospitals overcome these challenges by listing Premier contracted suppliers who have designated pediatric products, complete with contract category and details for simplified purchasing.
People under age 20 make up approximately 30 percent of the population, but only account for 11 percent of hospital discharges (excluding newborns), resulting in a small market for pediatric medical devices. Premier's Pediatric Web site draws attention to these and other issues, providing evidence-based information on medication safety, device safety and pediatric product identification. The Web site also provides extensive information on government actions, such as the Pediatric Medical Device Safety and Improvement Act of 2007 and the joint plan requested by Congress for expanding pediatric medical device research and development. Components of the plan, submitted by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the National Institutes of Health and the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, outline current and future initiatives, including expansion of current pediatric medical device research grants, linking of clinical databases, support for sharing research on adult studies applicable to pediatric populations and additional FDA guidance on pediatric device use and approvals tracking.
"There is a critical need for engagement, communication and cooperation among hospitals, physicians, manufacturers, patients and families to stimulate more research and guidance around pediatrics products and their safe, appropriate use," continued Premier's Pugliese. "Premier's Pediatric Safety tools will be valuable resources that create greater awareness around this important issue, which is affecting our most precious resource – our children."
In addition to the pediatric catalog and Web site, Premier's online automated contract management system, Supply Chain Advisor™, is searchable for niche and specialty products as well as the more general supplies for neonates, infants, children and adolescents.
The Premier Women and Children's Committee, consisting of clinicians and pediatric care experts from member hospitals, were responsible for contract awards to suppliers that manufacture pediatric products.
About Premier Inc., 2006 Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award recipient
The Premier healthcare alliance is more
than 2,300 U.S. hospitals and 64,000-plus other healthcare sites working
together to improve healthcare quality and affordability. Owned by
not-for-profit hospitals, Premier maintains the
nation's most comprehensive repository of clinical, financial and outcomes
information and operates a leading healthcare purchasing network. A world leader
in helping deliver measurable improvements in care, Premier works with the
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and the United Kingdom's National
Health Service North West to improve hospital performance. Headquartered in
Charlotte, N.C., Premier also has offices
in San Diego, Philadelphia and Washington. Follow Premier on
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