Two New Projects Funded in Year 3 of ImproveCareNow Patient and Parent Innovation Fund

We believe that many of the most innovative and potentially high-impact ideas for improving pediatric IBD care are likely to come from those living with the condition daily. Because of this, ImproveCareNow has continued to support innovative project ideas through the ImproveCareNow Patient and Parent Innovation Fund. The awardees for year three of this program have now been announced!

Made possible with support from the David R. Clare and Margaret C. Clare Foundation, the ImproveCareNow Patient and Parent Innovation Fund has already provided financial and network resources to three innovative projects in its first two years. In 2019, we are delighted to announce that the fund will support:

Yale-New Haven Children's Hospital

This project aims to create three sizes of an “IV Sweatshirt” and pilot them at Connecticut-based infusion centers serving patients receiving IV infusions of Remicade and other medications. Sweatshirts will include a space for the IV, have zipper access from shoulder to wrist making it easy to access the IV area. This idea was introduced by a patient and parent, and the need was validated by others with infusion experience.

Children's of Alabama

This project aims to facilitate real-time access to patient education materials in the IBD clinic for children and teens to improve patient knowledge base about their disease, and to facilitate patient-provider communication. A long-term aim of this project is to increase patient adherence to treatment recommendations, including medication and health behaviors, through increase knowledge and disease awareness.

Congratulations to our awardees. We look forward to learning from you and to sharing the impact of these projects with the ImproveCareNow community!

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About the ImproveCareNow Parent & Patient Innovation Fund

Parent & Patient Innovation Fund projects were selected for award based on their proposed projects’ alignment with the ImproveCareNow community’s mission to transform the health, care and costs for all children and adolescents with Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, as well as their potential to enhance and expand participation in the ICN community, giving more patients, parents, and others the opportunity to become part of this Learning Health System. In addition to funding, both awarded projects will receive clinician or improvement expert mentoring, project management support, and ongoing feedback from Network leaders and faculty. Read more about the Innovation Fund here.

About ImproveCareNow

ImproveCareNow is a Learning Health Network dedicated to transforming care, health and costs for all children and youth with Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis (Inflammatory Bowel Disease or IBD) by building a sustainable collaborative chronic care network. We are enabling patients, families, clinicians and researchers to work together in a learning health care system to accelerate innovation, discovery and the application of new knowledge. We invite everyone interested in getting kids with IBD better right now to join us at improvecarenow.org!