How one doctor is making the Operating Room safer with Click-to-Comply
We all know the high-stakes that come with surgery in the operating room but unfortunately, 50 percent of all surgeries conducted in the United States experience some sort of medication error. This is in part due to improper labeling of medication. Dr. Peter Baek, founder of Vigilant Labels, recognized that syringe labels were a major factor for this error. To combat this, Dr. Baek’s startup created the Click-to-Comply product which more accurately and more quickly produces syringe labels.
“I chose to tackle a problem that exists at almost every hospital and surgery center where intravenous medications are given to patients,” Dr. Baek said. Specializing in anesthesia and having served in the U.S. Air Force, Dr. Baek understood that it was difficult for nurse anesthetists and anesthesiologists to comply with strict regulations regarding medication labeling. For one, information on a syringe label is quite detailed, documenting the name of the preparer, the date of preparation, the name of the drug, and the barcode. Yet, common practice is that this information is printed by hand which results in illegibility as the details are scribbled and squeezed together to fit the medication label. Dr. Baek therefore started Vigilant Labels to make the process easier and more efficient. The user, whether a nurse, pharmacist, or doctor, simply clicks and the device creates a label with all the information presented in a clear manner. It is faster than writing by hand.
Click-to-Comply is now used in 14 Dallas Fort-Worth area hospitals. As Dallas Innovates stated, Vigilant Label’s Click-to-Comply product “is poised to improve compliance on a critical medical issue across the country.” Because of the company’s success, Dr. Baek has decided to pursue the Vigilant Labels’ mission full-time. He said, “Being an entrepreneur and starting a company is new for me. Quite frankly, my mindset as a doctor is to be cautious and risk adverse. However, to be a successful entrepreneur, I realize that I need to take risks and get out of my comfort zone.”
Are you also taking risks and getting out of your comfort zone to develop technologies improving the medical practice? You could be eligible for the R&D Tax Credit and receive up to 14% on your expenses. To find out more, please contact a Swanson Reed R&D Specialist today or check out our free online eligibility test.
Swanson Reed regularly hosts free webinars and provides free IRS CE credits as well as CPE credits for CPA’s. For more information please visit us at www.swansonreed.org/webinars or contact your usual Swanson Reed representative.