Kate Weatherly
OPIVA Refined
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More on this research: www.goodhealthdesign.com/projects/opiva-refined
OPIVA Refined, a Human-centred Approach to Outpatient Intravenous Antibiotic Treatment
Kate’s Master's research explored how the experiences of patients could be included in the design process to create innovative product solutions and improve the accessibility and ease of use of the products that made up the Outpatient intravenous antibiotics (OPIVA) treatment system. OPIVA is a service that helps patients manage serious infections requiring antibiotic treatment at home rather than in a hospital.
My research centred on an antibiotic treatment service based out of the Waitematā DHB; OPIVA.
Since its inception in America during the 1970s, outpatient intravenous antibiotic (OPIVA) therapies have provided patients with live-saving intravenous antibiotics at home rather than in hospitals. Beyond saving money and valuable bed spaces, these therapies have allowed patients to recover from severe infections in the comfort of their own homes. The existing OPIVA service used within the Waitematā DHB consisted of a peripherally inserted central catheter, an intravenous (IV) line, an automatic antibiotic infuser and a storage bag for the infuser.
Through a human-centred design process, I explored how patients’ experiences could be included in the design process to create innovative product solutions and improve the accessibility and ease of use of the products that made up the OPIVA treatment system. I redesigned the infuser and its storage bag to be more ergonomically shaped to fit under the users clothing comfortably. In the existing system, surgical tape was used to manage the patient’s IV lines on their arm; I created an innovative IV-line clip that could help manage the IV lines easier.
