BD Works Toward Creating ‘One-Stick Hospital Stay’ With Needle-Free Blood Draw Device

Becton, Dickinson and Company (BD) this week announced a plan to transform the experience of the blood draw with a “One-Stick Hospital Stay,” centered on a new device designed to eliminate multiple needlesticks for blood sample collection.

The pitch for hospital and health system executives: the company’s FDA-cleared PIVO device, while initially more expensive than a traditional blood draw, will reduce levels of patient pain and discomfort, and in turn increase patient satisfaction while delivering quality outcomes.

BD has worked towards making the process of blood collection safer and more comfortable over 70 years through their development of the BD Vacutainer family of products. Their suite of tools helps clinicians choose the right device for the right patient to achieve “first-stick success.” The implementation of the new device comes as part of the company’s recent acquisition of San Francisco-based Velano Vascular.

“As a global leader in vascular access solutions and blood collection, BD has been on the forefront of innovations that improve the patient experience and reduce additional needlesticks,” Rick Byrd, president of Medication Delivery Solutions for BD, said in a statement. “Now, with the addition of Velano and its groundbreaking technologies, we can envision a world where a ‘One-Stick Hospital Stay’ could be a reality for many by making the numerous inpatient blood draws better for everyone.”

The single-use, needle-free PIVO device draws blood from existing peripheral intravenous catheter (PIVC) lines, reducing the number of needlesticks needed for high-quality blood sample collection. The technology promises low-acuity patients will have one “stick for their entire hospital stay.”

Blood draws by venipuncture and the insertion of PIVCs are two of the most common procedures performed in hospitals and are typically met with some degree of pain and anxiety from patients, as 1 in 5 people in the United States are needle phobic. Successive needlesticks may exacerbate levels of pain and anxiety.

“By potentially removing multiple, individual needlesticks from blood draws, we can change the decades-old practice and help transform it into a better experience for patients and providers,” Anna Kiger, DNP, DSc, RN, FAONL, chief nursing officer for Sutter Health, said in a statement. “What can be an unpleasant or anxiety inducing procedure, with multiple pokes and prods throughout the day and night, is now a more compassionate one for those in our care.”

The new device may lead to a decrease in costs, although the precise amount may vary from hospital to hospital. Compared to other blood collection methods, study data have shown the device may reduce hemolysis rates and subsequently lead to cost savings by eliminating the cost of collection supplies needed for a redraw. Further, first-attempt successes of blood draw may decrease the clinical and financial impact associated with delayed care.

The Velano Vascular website claims that “hemolysis accounts for 40% to 70% of poor quality, rejected samples results in delayed care, additional patient discomfort and additional redraw costs of $208 for inpatients and $337 for rejected (emergency department) samples),” citing studies that say emergency departments reject between 8% and 15% of samples.

BD did not provide a precise savings estimate when requested by Chief Healthcare Executive™. In a 2016 article in MedCityNews, officials with Velano Vascular said pricing would depend on the “use case” at each hospital.

According to a BD spokesperson, leading US hospital systems such as Intermountain Healthcare, Sutter Health, Centura Health, Northwestern Medicine, Henry Ford Health System, Virginia Mason Medical Center, Griffin Hospital, and more are currently using PIVO in their practices.

Mary Caffrey contributed to this report.