What do you do when you have a big idea at work, but aren’t sure how to make it happen, or even if it will really work? Ideas from our staff have the potential to revolutionize the way MSF / Doctors Without Borders works, in big and small ways. Medical Innovation adviser Pete blogs about a new batch of projects aiming to do just that...

As in many large organizations, MSF sometimes struggles to provide opportunities to its staff on the ground to innovate for the future. Previous proposals have mainly come from our headquarters staff and specialists. They’re still great ideas, but it can mean that they aren’t always representative of the current needs of those working in the field, face to face with our patients.

The quality of proposals was very high, and represented everything from from small inventions to potentially transformative projects.Here’s a brief description of the successful proposals, which will now be developed and tested:

  • Lean Chemical Weapons Kit (LCWK):  Through lean design principles, he aims to develop a discrete, efficient and ergonomic decontamination kit, barely noticeable, and with a foolproof procedure meaning that staff working in these tough circumstances can be confident in their equipment and dedicate their attention to the patients in front of them.
  • Task-based modelling for safe nurse staffing levels: Ensuring that nurse staff levels are sufficient to ensure patient safety and maximize the level of care we provide is an important challenge for MSF. This means ensuring the team on shift at any time has a suitable mix of education, skills and experience.
  • Malnutrition screening toolbox for children under 6-months old: Many of the infants below 6 months of age who are seen at MSF hospitals and clinics are there for treatment for infectious diseases. But in many of places where MSF works there is a high chance that these babies also have underlying malnutrition. Early treatment of this malnutrition increases the odds that the baby will survive, decreases the likelihood that they’ll catch disease and also helps them grow.

Read the full article about three potential life saving projects by Pete Masters at Doctors Without Borders.