Frontline Insights. Student Innovations.
MDDC’s Student Challenges are grounded in real-world needs identified by healthcare professionals through the Insight to Innovation (I2I) pathway .
Students who take on a challenge will be connected with relevant clinical experts and resources to help answer questions, validate assumptions, and keep their proposed solutions clinically relevant. Depending on the project and applicable site requirements, this support may include clinical feedback, observations, or shadowing opportunities in healthcare settings.
Each challenge will remain open for as long as the associated clinical resource is available and willing to support interested students.
Interested in taking on one of these challenges?
Please email info@mddc.org to introduce yourself, tell us which challenge interests you, and share a little about your background, skills, or project team.
Clean Without the Strain: An Ergonomic Solution for Bed Base Sanitization
Submitter Hussam Saber - Director, Environmental Services, Vancouver General Hospital
Environmental Services (EVS) staff routinely clean patient bed bases to remove debris, visible contamination, and potentially infectious material before applying disinfectant. The task often requires repeated bending, squatting, reaching, and working in awkward positions underneath and around complex bed components. Bed bases…
View Challenge →Every Second Counts: Advancing Seizure Detection and Response
Submitter Renée Lopes Lieu, VCH Occupational Therapist
Seizures can occur unpredictably, including during sleep, creating significant safety risks for individuals with seizure disorders, particularly when caregivers are not physically present in the same room. While some technologies exist to detect seizures, gaps remain in ensuring timely, reliable alerts that…
View Challenge →Reimagining Pressure Injury Prevention in Hospital Care
Submitter Melanie Smyth, VCH Occupational Therapist
Pressure injuries (bedsores) are a common and preventable patient safety issue in hospitals, particularly among patients with limited mobility. Despite established prevention strategies, these injuries continue to occur, suggesting gaps between clinical protocols and real-world practice. This challenge invites students to rethink…
View Challenge →Lifting the Burden: Safer Linen Hamper Design for Healthcare
Submitter Hussam Saber - VCH Director, Environmental Services
Healthcare facilities handle large volumes of soiled linens every day. Environmental Services (EVS) and housekeeping staff routinely remove and transport heavy linen bags from collection hampers. While some organizations have addressed hamper height to reduce bending and lifting strain, overfilling of linen…
View Challenge →Safer Scale Calibration in Healthcare
Submitter Irene Lopez, Clinical Engineer at BC Children’s and Women’s Hospital
Accurate patient weight is essential for clinical decision-making across healthcare settings, including pediatric, oncology, and renal care. To ensure accuracy, patient scales must be regularly calibrated using heavy test weights, often up to 100 kg. Currently, this process often relies on manual…
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