Research & Continuing Education External Funding

Independent Medical Education:

• Providing comprehensive training on the different types and applications of adjunctive hemostatic surgical products, adhesion prevention products and surgical sealants.
• Educating surgeons on the proper techniques and best practices for using adjunctive hemostatic surgical products to achieve meticulous hemostasis in daily surgical procedures.
• Offering hands-on workshops or simulation training to enhance surgeons' skills in utilizing adjunctive hemostatic surgical products, adhesion prevention products and surgical sealants.

Investigator Initiated Research:

• Focus is on all products within Advanced Surgery that can address challenges faced during surgical procedures; specifically, hepatic, pancreatic, general surgery, lung, bariatric, cardiovascular, microvascular, colorectal, obstetric, gynecologic, neurologic and spine related procedures. We seek to assess relationships among, or between, intervention, clinical outcome and the health-economic value for these procedures.
• Studies exploring the clinical utility of the Validated Intraoperative Bleeding (VIBe) Scale as a tool to enhance operating room (OR) team communication and in selecting the correct hemostatic product for the appropriate bleed, as well as strategies to evaluate and mitigate post-operative adhesions.
• Studies focused on Active versus Passive agents when choosing an appropriate product for a given bleed.

Note: It is desirable to receive concept proposals which are retrospective chart reviews and/or registries with small sample size, single center studies, and focusing on disease areas of importance to Baxter’s Advanced Surgery Global Business Unit. Randomized controlled trials will also be considered based on the proposal’s individual merits.

Infusion Systems (Medication Delivery):

Independent Medical Education:

• Best practices related to integration of infusion pumps
• Best practices for utilizing Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI) data
• Best practices for using syringe pumps
• Challenges related to full delivery of residual volumes of prescribed therapies and provide guidance on best practices

Investigator Initiated Research:

• Clinical, operational or health economic outcomes research associated with smart pumps including the Novum platform (Novum IQE, Novum LVP and/or Novum syringe pump). Preference will be given to proposals focusing on artificial intelligence, integration, and CQI data.
• Clinical and healthcare economics outcome research associated with low volume infusion sets.

Clinical Nutrition, Pharmacy Tools and Compounding:

Independent Medical Education:

• Science and practice of clinical nutrition support to promote patient outcomes and to prevent and treat malnutrition.
• Parenteral Nutrition (PN) awareness and education across healthcare professions, patient populations and clinical settings related to the optimization of the end-to-end PN use process including, but not limited to: nutrition assessment, prescribing, order review, compounding, administration, and monitoring.
• Educational programs to raise awareness and develop early career clinicians practicing in clinical nutrition and working with nutrition support therapies and/or pharmacy operations/practice.

Investigator Initiated Research:

• Clinical, operational, or health economic outcomes associated with the use of Baxter multi-chamber bag (Olimel/Clinimix/Numeta) in adult, neonatal or pediatric patient populations (hospitalized and home parenteral nutrition patients) when compared to compounded individualized parenteral nutrition (PN) solutions.
• Clinical studies including real world evidence assessing the use of Clinoleic/Clinolipid in adult, neonatal, pediatric and homecare PN populations.
•  Studies related to compounding and medication safety, workflow efficiency, resource utilization or quality improvement associated with implementation and usage of Baxter’s pharmacy tool portfolio (Exactamix PRO/Abacus/DoseEdge/DoseEdge TPN).
• Studies comparing clinical, operational, or economic outcomes between outsourcing and in-house compounding of PN solutions.
• Studies assessing the outcomes associated with micronutrient dosing and monitoring practices in adult and pediatric patients on PN therapy.  Studies related to compatibility with PN will be considered.

Independent Medical Education:

• Providing educational training on the following topics:
  • Advantages of following enhanced anesthesia protocols
  • Benefits of using sterile premixed pharmaceuticals vs. manual compounding and ready-to-use and/or ready-to-administer IV formulations for pharmacy and/or nursing operational efficiency and workflows
  • Value of using an Inhalational Gas capture system

Investigator Initiated Research:

• Desflurane
  • Outcomes research to evaluate the benefits of enhanced anesthesia protocols (including Desflurane).
• Injectable IV medications
  • Studies to demonstrate the impact of using sterile premixed pharmaceuticals vs. manual compounding on staff safety, patient safety, and/or medication errors, and for pharmacy and/or nursing operational efficiency and workflows.
  • Outcomes research to evaluate the benefits of ready-to-use and/or ready-to-administer IV formulations.
  • Dose-banding of IV medications, specific interest in Oncology and Anti-infective setting,
• Inhalational Gas capture system
  • Studies related to the clinical use of an inhalational Gas capture system (i.e. reduction of gas released to environment, in-use percentage of gas recapture, ease of use, extension of its use in other settings, especially in PACU or ICU). 
  • Potential health economic benefits when using Inhalational Gas capture system.

Connected Care

Independent Medical Education:

• Connectivity of various devices in hospital setting and the impact on patient care/care effectiveness through connected devices.

Investigator Initiated Research:

• The impact of connected devices, automation, visualization, protocols on staff efficiency, workflows, throughput, time saving, patient outcomes, and/or staff satisfaction.
• The impact of multiple connected devices on patient safety, quality, and/or economic indicators.
• The value of an enterprise communication ecosystem and integrations.
• The impact of mobile communication devices and alert/alarm management on throughput and patient outcomes.
• Studies exploring the impact of connected devices, analytics, and reporting on compliance with protocols.

Frontline Care

Independent Medical Education:

• Educational sessions on patient monitoring and sepsis
• Use of a multidisciplinary approach to cardiovascular care inclusive of primary care providers and specialists
• Educational sessions on Bronchiectasis and its treatment modalities
• Best path forward for patients with COPD
• Optimizing airway clearance device use
• Hearth rhythm and ECG courses
• Mechanical ventilation
• Hypertension

Investigator Initiated Research:

Respiratory Health

• Volara in the emergency room to avoid hospital or ICU admission & Home Care patients
• Optimization of airway clearance device use, when to prescribe High Frequency Chest Wall Oscillation (HFCWO) in patients

Vision Screening & Diagnostics

• The impact of instrument-based pediatric vision screening in community or school settings  

Patient Monitoring:

• Study on impact of Connex to: workflow (i.e., reduction in documentation errors, time saved for clinicians, visibility to real time data/value of trend data)
• Early identification of patient deterioration & impact on adverse patient outcomes

Physical Exam and Diagnostics

• Studies evaluating clinical outcomes – accuracy of diagnosis (referral / diagnosis areas of focus from PCP to Specialist), ability to visualize (optic nerve, tympanic membrane), practice efficiency (exam time/provider experience), or patient satisfaction
• Blood Pressure averaging on the diagnosis and treatment of hypertension 
• Measuring blood pressure in children (< 3yrs) 

Patient Support Systems (Smart Beds & Surfaces) / Global Surgical Solutions (Surgical Workflow & Precision Positioning)

Independent Medical Education:

• Educational courses on Management of Hospital Acquired Pressure Injuries (HAPIs)
• Safe patient handling mobilization training courses
• Patient falls prevention strategies and training courses
• Early mobilization of Intensive Care Unit patients and impact on patient care and management
• Practical strategies and solutions for linen layer optimization courses
• Age of hospital bed surfaces & pressure injury development/prevention
• Management of peri and intraoperative hypothermia

Investigator Initiated Research:

• Impact of integrating hospital bed technology protocols and the incidence on Hospital Acquired Pressure Injuries (HAPIs).  
• Validation of Clinical Practice Guidelines using active surface (Alternating Low Pressure, Continuous Low Pressure, Percussion & Vibration, Continuous Lateral Rotation Therapy) hospital bed technology used to decrease poor outcomes related to Pressure Injury, Pulmonary complications, or immobility.
• Evaluation of Heart Rate and Respiratory data from Contact Free Continuous Monitoring (CFCM) when combined with other patient data from the electronic medical record in prediction of patient deterioration
• Visualization of falls data from a connected device and impact on the incidence of falls.

Please contact [email protected] with any questions.

Acute Therapies

Investigator Initiated Research:

1. CRRT
   • Clinical and health economic impact of CRRT in specific AKI populations (major surgery, CSA-AKI, multiple organ dysfunction)
   • Patient outcome studies of CRRT use in specific scenarios:
     • Control of fluid overload
     • AKI patients with hemodynamic instability 
     • AKI patients with a high risk of osmolar/electrolyte shifts
   • Fluid and/or hemodynamic management during CRRT
   • Clinical impact of prolonging filter life and associated patient outcomes
     • Safety and efficacy of RCA protocols during CRRT with PrisMax
   • Digital Health
     • Predictive, digital tools and CDS to guide CRRT workflow (from initiation to weaning)
     • Clinical and health economic impact of CRRT digital dashboards and quality indicators
2. Blood Purication
   • Comparative and single-arm studies on clinical outcomes of blood purification with Oxiris 
   • Studies of the biological, physiological, and clinical effects of Oxiris   
   • Preliminary studies on the role of biological markers for timing and stratification of Oxiris treatment 
   • Studies connecting endotoxin activity assay (EAA) to blood purification with Oxiris 
   • Single-arm and comparative studies on Oxiris in use with ECLS procedures or cardiopulmonary bypass to potentially mitigate the detrimental effects by hyper-inflammatory reactions
   • Studies to evaluate the economic cost/benefit aspects of blood purification
3. ECCO₂R/ PrismaLung+
   • Comparative and single-arm studies on the safety, efficacy, and clinical outcomes of ECCO₂R to enable protective ventilation in patients with mild to moderate ARDS and other forms of lung failure
   • Single-arm and comparative studies to assess short and long-term outcomes of ECCO₂R in patients with acute exacerbation of COPD 
   • Studies on stratification of patient populations who have the best potential to benefit from ECCO₂R (development of predictive variables for ECCO₂R)
   • Studies on heparin anticoagulation and its optimization during ECCO₂R treatment 
   • Impact of catheter characteristics on circuit performance
   • Research on development of quality indicators for ECCO₂R treatment
   • Preliminary studies on ECCO₂R use and its potential impact on pulmonary/renal crosstalk and inflammatory pathways  
4. Biomarker for OST 
5. Based on the variance of phenotypes in complex syndromes such as sepsis, studies investigating the role of biological markers for stratification of patient populations undergoing blood purification 
6. Preliminary studies identifying biological markers to predict outcomes of blood purification
7. Research on biological or other variables for stratification, monitoring and predicting outcomes with ECCO₂R
8. Impact of racial disparities in AKI, sepsis, ARDS, and other syndromes on ICU treatment and outcomes.

Independent Medical Education:

1. Acute kidney Injury: Disease, diagnosis, and management
2. Continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT): Prescription and practices
3. CRRT in the management of specific AKI scenarios (e.g., fluid overload, hemodynamic instability, CSA-AKI, post-operative AKI, multiple organ dysfunction)
4. Regional citrate anticoagulation for CRRT
5. CRRT quality improvement programs and therapy adoption
6. Application and outcome of blood purification in different patient populations
7. Biological, physiological, and clinical effects of blood purification technology
8. Role of blood purification in cardiac surgery
9. Utilization of different biomarkers to guide and monitor blood purification. 
10. Application of ECCO₂R different forms of lung failure, including mild to moderate ARDS
11. Safety and efficacy of ECCO₂R
12. Impact of different technologies on outcome of ECCO₂R
13. Variables for patient stratification of ECCO₂R
14. ECCO₂R quality improvement

Chronic Renal Therapies

Investigator Initiated Research:

1. Augment the knowledge on Baxter Renal Care PD therapy by supporting high-quality clinical and health-economic research on
   • Access to PD therapy, inclusive of solutions to barriers to access and drivers of therapy selection/uptake
   • The utility of digital health technologies in delivering effective PD therapy, inclusive of remote patient monitoring and related clinical workflows;
   • Clinical outcomes in PD patients, particularly on evidence regarding healthcare resource utilization and time on therapy.
2. Increase the depth of evidence relating to HDx therapy by supporting high-quality clinical and health-economic research by
   • Examining outcomes in large real world data sets
   • Studies focused directly on pathophysiological mechanisms leading to the benefits of HDx therapy
3. Achieve high-quality communications on the clinical value of Baxter Renal Care therapies through congress abstracts and articles in peer-reviewed journals.
4. Understanding CKD progression and management as a means to optimize therapy selection and onboarding.

Independent Medical Education:

1. Improving outcomes in PD therapy - focus on modality education, optimal start, PD catheter insertion and/or PD prescribing, inclusive of best practices around implementation into clinical workflow
2. Personalising HD therapy - focus on innovative dialysis membranes, patient reported outcomes and/or long-term cardiovascular risk, inclusive of best practices around implementation into clinical workflow