About testing ground in the OR
Innovative techniques and practices for the operation room (OR) need careful studying before being implemented. 'Testing ground in the OR' is a way to assess for cost-effectiveness, efficiency, safety, and opportunities for implementation. The Operating Rooms department is now open to technological companies looking for a way to test their product or service in a realistic setting.
read moreAbout testing ground in the OR
The Operating Rooms department is looking for technological companies that develop innovative techniques linked to the operating room, that want to test the effectiveness of their product or service in a realistic setting. These services or products may range between innovations concerning patient care to work processes in the operation room. Testing ground in the OR has successfully been implemented in Radboudumc MITeC operating rooms.
About Testing ground in the OR
In the Netherlands, around 30% of hospital admissions involve a type of surgical intervention. In the operating theatre, advanced and innovative technology plays a huge role. Although new technological interventions are almost always more expensive, it is not always clear that they lead to better outcomes for the patient. Before implementation can take place, innovative interventions must therefore be studied to allow for an assessment of cost-effectiveness, efficiency, safety, and opportunities for implementation.
To facilitate such evidence-based surgical research, Radboudumc is collaborating with healthcare businesses that can test the use of their technology in the hospital’s cutting-edge operation rooms. This will allow for the validation of the techniques’ potential advantages. In this realistic environment, referred to as the ‘proeftuin’, or 'testing ground', new technologies can be studied more efficiently. This contributes to the provision of better and more affordable healthcare, and fosters collaboration between the hospital and innovative industries.
Learn more about MITeC, the operating rooms where Testing ground in the OR has been tried out.
Made possible by European Union
Testing ground in the OR is made possible by the European Regional Development Fund.
Collaboration opportunities
The Department of Operating Rooms is looking for technological companies that develop innovative techniques linked to the operating room that want to test the effectiveness of their product or service in a realistic setting. These services or products may range between innovations concerning patient care to work processes in the operation room.
Collaboration in action
Through Testing ground in the OR, innovative techniques are validated in three steps.
read moreCollaboration in action
In the 'proeftuin', or 'testing ground', innovative techniques are validated in three steps.
Step 1
Firstly, a multidisciplinary team of experts assesses the technical feasibility of the product, process or service in a health technology assessment. They look at whether the product performs as intended in practice, whether it fits the hospital’s, surgical environment’s and personnel’s way of working, whether it is in line with the sector and supervising organizations, how innovative it is, and if it contributes to cost-effective care. To ensure this assessment is performed in an organized manner, the Delphi method is used.
Step 2
During the second phase, the feasibility of the use of the product, process or service in practice is demonstrated in the animal lab or in the Radboudumc’s surgical rooms with the use of fresh frozen cadavers. Both locations offer the opportunity to test new technology in as realistic a setting as possible without endangering any patients.
Step 3
In the last validation phase, the use of the product, process or service is demonstrated in MITeC operating theatre. By using a realistic, High Tech user environment, developers can gain insight in the workings of the innovation in clinical practice. This knowledge can be used during the definition of the final market application of the product, process or service.