Christie Medical Holdings Inc., a global leader in portable vein imaging systems to aid in venipuncture procedures, has donated a VeinViewer® Flex to the Hemophilia Federation of America (HFA) as part of the Christie CARES philanthropy program.
Based in Washington, D.C., the Hemophilia Federation of America serves as a consumer advocate for safe, affordable and obtainable blood products and health coverage, as well as a better quality of life for all persons with bleeding disorders.
The primary treatment that bleeding disorder patients use to control or prevent bleeds consists of intravenous infusions of clotting factor replacement therapy. Many patients and their families learn to self-infuse these products at home, and those with severe hemophilia, may be infusing multiple times per week. Hemophilia Federation of America (HFA) conducted a study in 2013 that found 48 percent of parents identified infusions and venous access as high concerns. As a result, HFA developed educational curriculum and published resources online to offer tips and tricks for smoother infusions.
Since 2004, HFA’s “Dads in Action” and “Moms in Action” programs have provided education, support, and outreach to parents of children with bleeding disorders. These programs offer local and national educational sessions, online resources, webcasts, and printed materials. Beginning in November, HFA will use the donated VeinViewer Flex at its local member organization meetings throughout the country. With the assistance of trained medical personnel, community members will be able to see their veins and practice self-infusion techniques.
“Learning how to self-infuse clotting factor is vital for a person living with hemophilia and other rare bleeding disorders. However, many experience great difficulty accessing their own or their child’s veins,” explains Kimberly Haugstad, HFA Executive Director. “Giving families the confidence to continue working toward independently infusing at home is crucial to improving the quality of life for bleeding disorder patients. We are so fortunate and thankful that we are now able to incorporate VeinViewer into our educational programing.”
“This is a great opportunity for Christie to give back to the community,” said George Pinho, president, Christie Medical Holdings Inc. “We’re proud to be able to donate a VeinViewer Flex and assist HFA in their mission to provide educational programs for families and children.”
Available via healthcare practitioners, the VeinViewer vein finder has been shown to greatly increase first-stick success for intravenous (IV) access. VeinViewer Flex is the only device of its kind that is rated for use in all environments, including alternate care facilities and homes.
The Christie VeinViewer Flex system uses harmless near-infrared light to detect patient veins and then projects a real-time, high definition image of the vein pattern directly on the skin surface. Nurses can quickly find more options for accessing a patient’s veins. A more thorough assessment with VeinViewer Flex means patients may avoid multiple needle sticks and possible future complications sometimes associated with IV access.
To learn more about Christie vein finding devices: VeinViewer Vision2 and VeinViewer Flex, please visit www.christiemed.com.
