A better fit: industry collaboration with nurse-clinicians in the development and redesign of a pneumatic compression...

Intermittent pneumatic compression (IPC) devices offer a safe and effective means of thromboprophylaxis but are often uncomfortable, leading to poor compliance.

Two multicenter, prospective trials compared traditional IPC sleeves with newly designed IPC sleeves. The primary outcome measure was overall patient acceptance. Secondary measures involved nurses' impressions, patients' experiences, and device safety.

In Trial 1 (n = 110), 87% of patients preferred the new knee-length sleeve compared with the traditional knee-length sleeve. Thigh-length sleeve enrollment was discontinued early (n = 38), because nurses reported that the new sleeve did not remain in place. Following redesign of the thigh-length sleeve, Trial 2 (n = 110) was executed and 82% of patients preferred this sleeve compared with the traditional thigh-length sleeve. Patients' experiences and clinicians' impressions were better with the new sleeves. No device-related adverse events were reported.

Collaboration with nurses yielded a more comfortable IPC sleeve with properties that should improve compliance and optimize patient outcomes.