Welch Allyn Partners with the Ohio State University College of Nursing to Help Improve Patient Care

Welch Allyn, Inc., a leading medical diagnostic device company that delivers pragmatic innovation at the point of care, has partnered with The Ohio State University College of Nursing to learn more about the physical examination process and how it may be changing in the near future. Both parties will use a structured approach to deeply understand the workflow, challenges and needs for performing a standard physical examination and the actions resulting from that examination—including patient interventions and healthcare provider referrals.

“For 100 years Welch Allyn has been committed to delivering practical innovations that help doctors and nurses provide better care for their patients,” said Sal Strods, senior director, advanced technology and sensors. “As healthcare continues to undergo rapid transformations we must be ready to provide clinicians with the right equipment to help meet further challenges. Our partnership with The Ohio State University College of Nursing will allow us to learn first-hand the challenges physicians, nurses and patients face in this changing industry. Unlike other partnerships, this agreement is extremely interactive allowing clinicians to guide the Welch Allyn team on what they need most to help improve patient care. Basically products will be modeled by clinicians for clinicians.”

The project is being conducted on The Ohio State campus, where Welch Allyn professionals will facilitate sessions with healthcare providers and experts to obtain feedback on the physical assessment process and new design concepts. The College of Nursing will provide Welch Allyn with research expertise and literature reviews on topics relevant to the study. The two partners will then work together to develop robust concepts steaming from well-informed research and hands-on learning to help clinicians at the point of care.

“Given our shared vision of transforming healthcare and improving health outcomes, it seemed natural to partner with Welch Allyn in this exciting endeavor,” said Bernadette Melnyk, PhD, RN, CPNP/PMHNP, FAANP, FNAP, FAAN, university chief wellness officer, vice president for health promotion and dean of the College of Nursing at Ohio State. “This relationship serves as a leading example of our college’s commitment to improving patient care through innovative education, research and evidence-based clinical practice. And, because nurses, nurse practitioners and physicians are all on the frontlines of care, their input is crucial to the success of this project. Interprofessional teams delivering care result in improved health outcomes, so including each discipline makes for more valuable feedback overall.”