Protecting Healthcare Heroes:
A Healthcare System's Transformation with Retractable Technologies
A large teaching hospital discovered that over one-third of needlestick injuries occurred with devices requiring manual safety activation¹. By implementing Retractable Technologies' VanishPoint passive safety syringes, the hospital achieved a 0% needlestick rate in trial units during a nine-month period¹ and a reduction in systemwide needlestick injuries after broader rollout⁴. In addition to improving safety, the transition resulted in $31,706.56 in cost savings, demonstrating the financial and clinical benefits of eliminating manual safety devices¹.
Barnes-Jewish Hospital (BJH) is a 1,250-bed teaching hospital affiliated with Washington University School of Medicine located in Saint Louis, MO¹. BJH is the largest academic facility in the BJC HealthCare system, which totals eleven facilities³ and employs thousands of clinical staff who regularly use needles for medication delivery and procedures. Ensuring staff safety from bloodborne pathogens remains a fundamental organizational priority.
Despite implementing active safety engineered devices (ASEDs) for subcutaneous medication delivery, BJH faced persistent needlestick injuries¹²⁴⁵:
- Approximately 35% of needlestick injuries occurred with active safety devices
- These devices required healthcare workers to manually slide a shield over the needle after use
- In high-pressure clinical environments, the extra activation step was sometimes forgotten
- Each injury created potential exposure to bloodborne pathogens, generated testing costs, and caused significant anxiety among staff
The data clearly showed that devices requiring manual activation presented a significant safety risk to healthcare workers.
They needed a solution to strengthen frontline protection.
In 2011-2012, BJH developed a methodical approach to address this safety challenge¹²⁴:
- Problem Identification: Analysis showed that active safety devices played a big role in needlestick incidents
- Solution Research: BJH evaluated various needle safety technologies focusing on passive protection
- Targeted Pilot: Implementation began with selecting four medical-surgical units and one ICU with historically higher injury rates
- Technology Selection: RTI’s VanishPoint retractable syringes were chosen for their fully automated safety mechanism
- Comprehensive Training: Staff received thorough education on the new devices
- Data Collection: Rigorous monitoring tracked injury rates throughout implementation
- Systemwide Expansion: Following successful pilot results, the technology was implemented more broadly
BJC Healthcare worked with Retractable Technologies to implement VanishPoint safety syringes across their system. These devices feature a crucial difference from traditional safety mechanisms:
- Passive vs. Active Safety: Unlike conventional devices requiring manual activation of safety features after use, RTI’s technology automatically retracts the needle into the barrel immediately after injection, significantly reducing the exposure risk without requiring any additional steps from busy healthcare workers.
The implementation included three strategic syringe sizes (0.5 ml, 1 ml, and 3 ml) to address various medication delivery needs while maintaining consistent safety features.⁴
The implementation produced two distinct and important safety improvements:
1. Outstanding Safety Record in VanishPoint Trial Units
The most compelling evidence of the effectiveness of RTI’s passive devices came from the nine-month trial period:
- 0% needlestick rate in the four medical-surgical units and one ICU where VanishPoint syringes were specifically implemented¹
- This safety record provided direct evidence that the passive retraction technology effectively reduced this injury risk
- The trial units were specifically selected because they had higher-than-average needlestick rates in the previous three years, making the achievement even more significant
2. Systemwide Safety Improvement
Following broader implementation:
- BJC Healthcare experienced a 31% overall reduction in systemwide needlestick injuries within one year⁴
- This broader percentage reflects aggregate impact across all facilities
- This system-level reduction includes areas using various types of devices, not just units that switched to passive safety devices
- Needlestick injury rate decreased from 0.58 to 0.46 per 100,000 productive employee hours⁴
- Total incidents fell dramatically: 160 during the 12-month implementation period compared to 404 in the previous 24 months⁴
1mL VanishPoint U-100 Insulin Syringe
The financial impact assessment revealed:
Direct Cost Avoidance: The implementation resulted in an impressive $31,706.56 in cost savings, including:
- Reduced occupational health department staffing hours
- Decreased laboratory testing for exposed employees and source patients
- Fewer HIV post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) regimens
- Lower administrative costs from injury reporting and follow-up
It’s worth noting that these savings reflect only direct costs. Indirect or soft costs—such as lost productivity, sick time, temporary staff coverage, physician visits, travel time, legal fees, and workers’ compensation—were not included in the analysis. These factors can substantially increase the total financial burden of needlestick injuries. When considered, the true economic impact of adopting passive safety-engineered devices is likely even greater than reported.
BJC HealthCare achieved net savings in the first year of implementation, demonstrating that the passive retraction technology was not only clinically effective but also financially sound.
Ashleigh J. Goris, RN, BSN, MPH, CIC, manager of infection prevention and control at Missouri Baptist Medical Center (part of the BJC Healthcare system), explained the fundamental advantage:
"By design the device is safer during use, after use, and prior to disposal because the needle
is never exposed outside of the patient."
Several elements contributed to the successful outcomes:
- Superior Safety Technology: The 0% needlestick rate in trial units demonstrated the technology’s superior effectiveness
- Strategic Pilot Selection: Targeting high-risk units with historically higher injury rates provided clear evidence of impact
- Automated Protection: Passive technology eliminated human error from the safety equation
- Comprehensive Implementation: The phased approach ensured proper training and adoption
- Evidence-Based Decision Making: Data drove both the initial decision and expansion
Collaborations between healthcare organizations and safety device manufacturers continue to demonstrate value over time. Beyond the measurable reduction in injuries and their associated costs, healthcare facilities adopting comprehensive sharps safety initiatives have experienced:
- Decreased anxiety among staff about bloodborne pathogen exposure
- Enhanced workplace culture emphasizing staff safety
- Better alignment with regulatory requirements for needlestick prevention
- Improved staff confidence in the organization’s commitment to their wellbeing
BJC HealthCare’s experience with Retractable Technologies’ passive safety devices demonstrates how reducing a workplace hazard can transform safety outcomes and reduce costs. This case offers definitive evidence that passive safety systems represent a superior approach to needlestick prevention in healthcare settings.
By selecting technology with passive activation, BJC Healthcare achieved dramatic improvements in staff protection, most notably the outstanding reduction of needlestick injuries in units where VanishPoint was deployed. They also achieved measurable cost savings by reducing injury-related expenses, reinforcing the value of adopting VanishPoint technology across their facilities.
- Goris, A.J., et al. (2014). Reducing Needlestick Injuries from Active Safety Devices: A Passive Safety-Engineered Device Trial. AOHP. https://nipro.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/165816.pdf
- Ibid.
- Cardinal Health. (2018). Changing the Game: Using RFID Technology to Drive Supply Chain Innovation at BJC HealthCare.
- Relias Media. (2015). Going to a Passive Needle Safety System Reduces Injuries and Costs. https://www.reliasmedia.com/articles/136435-going-to-a-passive-needle-safety-system-reduces-injuries-and-costs
- Moayed, M. S., Mahmoudi, H., Ebadi, A., Salary, M. M., & Danial, Z. (2015). Effect of Education on Stress of Exposure to Sharps Among Nurses in Emergency and Trauma Care Wards. Trauma monthly, 20(2), e17709. https://doi.org/10.5812/traumamon.20(2)2015.17709
- Reddy, V. K., Lavoie, M. C., Verbeek, J. H., & Pahwa, M. (2017). Devices for preventing percutaneous exposure injuries caused by needles in healthcare personnel. The Cochrane database of systematic reviews, 11(11), CD009740. https://doi.org/10.1002/14651858.CD009740.pub3