New specialty environment at MATTER lets healthcare innovators develop ideas and test products in real-world clinical scenarios; first project will focus on hospital observation units
MATTER, in partnership OSF HealthCare, today announced the launch of The OSF Simulation Stage at MATTER, a flexible simulation environment designed to allow early-stage healthcare technology innovators to test their products in real-world clinical environments and gain valuable feedback – knowledge they traditionally would not have the opportunity to receive until much later in the development process. The Stage, which is configurable to model a number of hospital clinical settings such as an ICU, cath lab, or procedure room, is outfitted with medical equipment from Hill-Rom and electronic health record software from Allscripts.
The OSF Simulation Stage’s first configuration will model a hospital observation room and will be the focal point of a six-month-long challenge sponsored by Hill-Rom to develop technologies to improve the efficiency, quality, and financial stability of hospital observation units. The challenge is an opportunity for innovators to develop solutions to a timely problem and gain feedback from clinicians on the front lines of delivering care. Applications from teams interested in participating must be submitted by October 15. The winning team will be presented with a cash prize. For more information, visit http://matterchicago.com/about/thestage/
“Simulation provides an invaluable opportunity for testing, training, and iteration in a safe and controlled environment,” said Dr. John Vozenilek, vice president and chief medical officer for Jump Trading Simulation & Education Center, a partnership between OSF HealthCare and University of Illinois College of Medicine at Peoria. “The friction involved in bringing new healthcare technologies to market is immense, and it’s often doubly hard for early-stage innovators to navigate the healthcare system to secure crucial pilots and gain direct feedback. The OSF Simulation Stage at MATTER eliminates this friction by accelerating the testing process and paving the way for outside evaluation to shape new ideas and iterative decisions that might otherwise not be uncovered until much later in the process – or missed entirely. We’re thrilled to partner with MATTER on this endeavor.”
“Since MATTER opened last year, we have heard from startups and innovators that they want greater access to clinical environments in which to develop ideas and test prototypes,” said MATTER CEO Steven Collens. “The OSF Simulation Stage gives them this environment and is designed to be highly flexible and adaptable to a variety of situational challenges.”
The OSF Simulation Stage is the second specialty environment that MATTER has designed to facilitate connection and collaboration between entrepreneurs and clinicians to advance healthcare. Previously, MATTER introduced the AMA Interaction Studio, in partnership with the American Medical Association, that provides an interactive environment for entrepreneurs and physicians to engage one another early on in the development of new solutions.