A Product Conversion Is Not Finished at Approval
A product can be the right choice and still create problems at the point of use.
Approval tells a facility what it bought. It does not tell whether the people using it are ready. Without a clear handoff, staff may meet the product for the first time during patient care. They stop, look for old inventory, or work around it. Leaders may see resistance. Staff may simply be trying to use a product no one walked them through.
During evaluation
Product education should begin before the decision is final. Put the product in the hands of the people who will use it and watch what happens. A specification sheet cannot show whether the packaging is confusing or the setup feels awkward during actual care.
The FDA's human factors guidance treats packaging and training materials as part of the interaction between a person and a medical device. It also emphasizes evaluating the intended users and the environment where the device will be used.
Evaluation is also when the facility learns whether education is enough. If several users struggle with the same step, pause. The answer may be clearer education or a different product.
Before go-live
One daytime in-service can miss the night shift and new hires. Before the product arrives, decide who needs education and when they can receive it.
AHRQ advises healthcare teams to schedule multidisciplinary training so staff can attend across shifts. It also warns that a successful pilot does not guarantee a successful rollout. The training schedule has to fit the work schedule.
For products represented by Gosnell Medical Sales, the support depends on the product, the facility, and the people using it. It may include hands-on demonstrations, samples for evaluation, one-on-one or facility-wide in-services, education across shifts, virtual training, help during initial use, and refresher training for new employees.
During rollout
Education does not end when inventory arrives. During the first uses, questions become specific. Staff need someone who knows the product and can answer them in the moment.
Multiphze® is one example of what that support can look like during rollout. We connect a demonstration kit to a simulated bladder and run water through the system so the team can see how it works. We explain the rotating syringe positions. Then the team operates the system themselves.
When the system is used during a TURP case, we help with setup and stay available while the physician uses it. That support gives the physician more certainty. If a product question comes up, help is already there.
After go-live
A conversion lasts longer than the first day. New employees arrive, and questions change after the product has been used for a while.
PolyMem® is one example of how that education can continue after a product is in use. When a facility has new nurses to train, we return. We pass a dressing sample around so nurses can feel the product while we explain how it works. Then we demonstrate the application basics and answer their questions. We leave samples when the team needs them.
Ongoing education keeps a product change from turning into something each new employee has to figure out alone.
A purchase order shows that a product was bought. Staff readiness shows whether the conversion worked. A conversion is complete when the people using the product understand it and know where to bring questions.
If your facility is evaluating or adopting a product represented by Gosnell Medical Sales, contact us early. We can build the education around the way your team works and stay involved after the product is in use.