Ecore Hopes to Work with ASTM to Create a Healthcare Force Reduction Test

Ecore, a company that transforms reclaimed waste into unique performance surfacing, is aware of the negative impact patient falls have in the healthcare environment. As such, Ecore has petitioned the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM), in an effort to establish a committee to review the lack of and need for focused testing protocol that will address the issues of patient safety related to injury from falls.

“To date, the topic of patient falls has garnered the attention of the healthcare community at large, and, for the first time, flooring is being considered as a possible solution to a problem that continues to impact patients, staff, and providers,” said Mark Huxta, Director of Healthcare Sales for Ecore. “To that end and to our knowledge, there is no current test specific to healthcare that focuses on force reduction,” said Huxta. “As an industry, we need to address this need.”

Ecore recently shared research, focused on Patient Safety and Reducing the Risk of Injury from Falls, at the 2016 Healthcare Design Expo & Conference in Houston, TX. This ongoing research was conducted in conjunction with Johns Hopkins Health System and The Center for Health Design, as part of a Pebble Project. This research, which Ecore initiated in 2014, is a collaborative effort that features a number of prominent, world-class healthcare providers. This study is expected to be completed in 2017.

To learn more about Ecore and how our surfaces can reduce the severity of fall injuries visit: http://www.ecorecommercialflooring.com.