Making midstream mainstream

Healthcare, Imperial Business School. Associate Director of Research and Evaluation, Imperial College Health Partners. President, International Academy of Design and Health

Peezy Midstream is one of those valuable, simple, low cost and no-brainer innovations that I’m always amazed don’t get adopted faster and more widely.

* the Peezy journey features in Prof Barlow’s new book on healthcare innovation, out Sept ‘16

Urine samples are used to diagnose a broad variety of conditions and to be able to deliver an accurate diagnosis it is vital that the samples are not contaminated. Research strongly indicates that using the Peezy Midstream specimen collection device can dramatically reduce the contamination rate, thus leading to more accurate readings and reducing the need for repeat tests. This will undoubtedly have a significant time and cost savings for the NHS and must surely be a sensible innovation to adopt.

Health and safety in any medicine is of vital importance to those who work on the frontline and the collection of urine samples is a daily necessity for many. The adoption of innovative solutions, such the Peezy Midstream, allows a safe and hygienic alternative to more traditional methods, improving not just the experience of our members but also enhances the dignity of the patients they serve.

Katherine is an academic based in the UK and US with over 100 peer-reviewed publications. With over 25 years in medical applications, she has extensive expertise in biochemistry, biophysics, infectious diseases and bio/nanotechnology.

As you know I am a considerable supporter of the Peezy and we have had good results in pre-op, moving out now to antenatal. I also use Peezy for complex patients who may genuinely have mixtures when it is important to be confident that contamination is not likely to be an issue.

Rubbish in, rubbish out. If you don’t make the effort to collect the specimen properly, all the clever stuff you do in the lab later, won’t work.

Reduction in laboratory defined contamination has been shown and there is potential for use of Peezy in collecting all future Obstetric MSUs.