A Project to Print Anatomical Models of Foetuses in 3D, an Outstanding Initiative of the 1st "Jo Innovo" (I Innovate) Conference

“The conference shows that innovation does not just come from above, but that it also stems from interaction between professionals and patients,” explained Dr Alba Farràs, one of the people who came up with the idea, “We will be able to print anatomical models of real foetuses with illnesses to explain what problems foetuses have to parents. Furthermore, we will be able to print models of real, healthy foetuses to allow parents with visual impairment to discover their future children through touch”. Two of the people involved in the project will travel to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Boston to experience first-hand how one of the most advanced centres of innovation in the world operates.

The “Jo Innovo” competition was launched by the Vall D’Hebron University Hospital last June and was open to all professionals working in the hospital. The initiative has thrown the spotlight on all the innovative ideas and experiences in a variety of professional areas that help to improve the experience of patients and professionals in the hospital. The competition was divided into four categories: patients’ and healthcare professionals’ safety, economic and energetic sustainability, patient satisfaction and professional satisfaction. The competition call was a resounding success, with more than 170 projects submitted by professionals, all of which were high quality and innovative. La  Vall d’Hebron Innovation Commission, headed by Dr Josep Antoni Ramos-Quiroga, selected the 16 finalists of the 1st “Jo Innovo” conference.

Vall d’Hebron University Hospital will ensure the 16 finalist projects of the “Jo Innovo” conference are implemented, as they can help improve health care and patients’ quality of life at the hospital.

During the conference, David Elvira, director of the Catalan Health Service (CatSalut), stated, “This conference shows that innovation does not just come from above, but also stems from the interactions between professionals, and between professionals and patients”. Dr Vicenç Martínez Ibáñez, manager of the Vall D’Hebron University Hospital, emphasised the fact that, “The challenge faced by our organisation is integrating innovation in all areas.  Our objective is to promote innovation in order to improve, above all, the well-being of patients and also the work of professionals”.

At the same time, the conference hosted a debate entitled “Innovating for Patients’ Health in the Future”, moderated by Dr Josep Antoni Ramos-Quiroga, with Marta Aymerich, vice rector of Strategic Planning and Research of the UOC; Helena Torras, co-founder and CEO of B-wom; Jesús Miguel Pérez, director Strategic Alliances and Associations of TedCas, and Ventura Barba, executive director of Sónar. The debate revealed that, through the emergence of technology and, especially, professionals’ talent, innovative projects can be put into practice to provide solutions for major challenges faced by health care, such as the ageing population.

Subsequently, Mara Balestrini, CEO of Ideas for Change, gave a closing talk in which she highlighted that, “Until only a few years ago, innovation depended on only a handful of people, but now everyone can innovate”.

One of the most impacting moments of the conference was when attendees had the opportunity to listen to the sounds a patient hears in the hospital. Through a binaural experience made possible by Sónar + D, participants were able to listen to everything a patient hears during a day at the Vall D’Hebron University Hospital using headphones connected to their mobile phones. The experience let professionals at the hospital put themselves in patients’ shoes to find out what it is like for them, from a 360º perspective. From now on, all new professionals and medical students who start working at the hospital will have this experience to become aware of patients’ needs. Thus, both symbolically and in reality, the Vall D’Hebron University Hospital continues to work with innovative patient-oriented processes and solutions.

Selecting the sounds for the audio that puts professionals in patients’ shoes is the outcome of a brainstorming on the most frequently heard sounds in the hospital. The sounds are based on scenarios, devices, clothing and voices. Listeners can hear respirators, vacuum cleaners, monitor alarms, infusion pumps, the movement of beds, footsteps, people being moved to the theatre prior to surgery, relatives waiting, surgeons, typing on computers, beeps, echocardiograms and other sounds in intensive care, the operating theatre, the waiting rooms and the hospitalisation area.