Home, Safe, Thriving Educational Publication

Currently, patients on Long-Term Mechanical Ventilation (LTMV) at the Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center face many barriers to leaving the hospital and getting Home, Safe, and Thriving. These children are dependent on ventilators to breathe, and layers of complexities surround their care, including daunting equipment setup, education for caregivers, social factors, and many other medical complications. Working closely with doctors, nurses, and specialists in the CCHMC’s Transitional Care Center (TCC), we crafted an educational guide to serve as an educational introduction to LTMV. Through 1-on-1 interviews, focus group workshops, and observations of staff, patients, and families at the TCC, we built a deep understanding of the challenges in getting families out of the hospital and living at home. We carefully selected our language and illustrations to give readers an empathetic understanding of the treatments, policies, and people involved in caring for children on LTMV. Our educational guide is designed to carefully introduce information step-by-step, building on each previous section and culminating in a set of challenges and opportunities for improving the hospital-to-home transition process.

From the original award submission.