Successful solutions start with the end-user.
We are continually identifying new challenges across the spectrum of health care and creating solutions that work for the people who need them most. In the Design phase of the Ariadne Labs Arc, we use human-centered design to produce a testable version of a solution that meets the needs of the end user.
BetterBirth Receives Significant Grant to Promote Optimal Feeding of Low Birthweight and Preterm Infants
BetterBirth received nearly $10 million in funding from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to begin work on the Low Birthweight and Preterm Infant Feeding Trial and Supportive Care Package (LIFT-UP) project. LIFT-UP will provide implementation research on the feeding and probiotic recommendations of the 2022 WHO Care for the Preterm or Low Birthweight infant guidelines. The work aims to identify opportunities to better support small, vulnerable newborns and their families with improved feeding interventions and enhanced support for providing human milk.
This work builds on findings from the Low Birthweight Infant Feeding Exploration (LIFE) study, which documents feeding practices, growth patterns, and health outcomes among more than 1,100 low birthweight infants in low-resource countries. A recently released executive summary outlines key findings and suggested action to ensure small, vulnerable newborns survive and thrive.
Spark Grants Awarded to Nine Health Care Innovators
Spark Grants continued to fuel Ariadne’s innovation pipeline, funding nine new and early-stage projects to close gaps in health care. Recipients worked with experts in human-centered design from Ariadne’s Innovation Platform to develop a wide range of solutions, including communication tools to improve cesarean recovery in rural Africa, a checklist to streamline access to life-saving stroke care, and conversation guides for deprescribing in hospice settings. This year’s recipients included five projects funded by Harvard Medical School Dean’s Innovation Grants in Health Care Delivery.
Of the grants awarded, three received renewed Spark Grant funding in early 2023 to continue on with their work, while others sought further funding from other sources.
PACT Leads Health Systems in Responding to Patient Harm
The Pathway for Accountability, Compassion, and Transparency (PACT) Collaborative convened 18 health systems in its first Breakthrough Series Collaborative to support systems implementing patient harm response programs. PACT provided participants with a comprehensive curriculum; new tools for measurement, communication, process improvement, and patient and family education; and access to faculty, coaches, and peer organization to support learning and improvement. Following the collaborative, all participants reported progress on building or strengthening their program.
PACT is currently recruiting health systems for the next phase cohort, while also creating a Community of Practice for health systems newer to harm response programs and a Leadership and Innovation Network for more experienced systems. PACT is led by Ariadne Labs, the Collaborative for Accountability and Improvement (CAI), and the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI).
Eldercare Team Aims to Improve Quality of Life for Dementia Patients and Caregivers
In August of 2022, Ariadne Labs’ Eldercare team launched work to understand challenges in dementia care at the patient, caregiver, and clinician levels. The team has identified gaps in care and support that contribute to feelings of overwhelm and isolation for patients and families and, over the next year, will design tools to help prepare and support families with a focus on quality of life.