May 24, 2022 09:30 ET | Source: RQI Partners LLC RQI Partners LLC

DALLAS AND STAVANGER, Norway, May 24, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- One of the world’s most prestigious and valued design competitions, Germany’s iF (International Forum) Design Award, has named Laerdal Medical and RQI Partners the winners in the Product, Medicine/Health category for the RQI-P GO solution. Designed by Laerdal, manufactured by RQI Partners (a partnership between Laerdal and the American Heart Association®) and unveiled in 2020 as part of the Association’s digital resuscitation portfolio, the RQI-P GO solution delivers CPR education and quality improvement through a mobile, modular system. Achieving this distinguished award milestone marks a first for the Laerdal and RQI Partners collaboration; Laerdal previously won an iF Design Award in 2009.

Alejandro Mandrion, industrial designer at Laerdal Medical, said, "Winning an iF Design Award is recognition and testament to the important work we are doing with our colleagues at RQI Partners to improve survival rates from cardiac arrest. Despite limitations due to the pandemic, and a tight project timeline, the team did an amazing job in designing and developing a solution that addresses users’ needs and fits the RQI® portfolio. Frequent CPR training is vital to healthcare providers maintaining CPR competence and the GO Simulation Station helps advance them to this achievement. This solution demonstrates that good design has a great impact on our mission of helping save lives.”

Since its founding in 1953 as Die Gute Industrieform e.V., iF Design is now noted as a global symbol of design excellence, with the iF Design Award contributing to this distinction. Each year, nearly 100 independent design experts from around the world review and celebrate quality and creative achievements in product design, packaging, communication, service design and concepts, architecture and interior design, user experience (UX) and user interface (UI).

RQI-P GO is designed for and accommodates healthcare facilities and prehospital and public safety organizations that may not have access to a traditional RQI simulation station or operate locations distributed across a city or county, respectively. The compact, mobile solution delivers the same Resuscitation Quality Improvement® (RQI) and HeartCode® Complete programs and real-time feedback as a traditional RQI simulation station, without sacrificing quality. Learners can complete CPR course instruction independently at a location convenient for them. The RQI and HeartCode programs are co-developed by the American Heart Association, the world’s leading voluntary organization dedicated to a world of longer, healthier lives for all, and Laerdal, one of the world leaders in medical simulation and resuscitation training.

“When healthcare providers engage with our programs, we want their experience to be efficient, convenient, reliable and of the highest quality,” said Nicole Watkins, RQI Partners’ program manager with RQI-P GO oversight. “RQI-P GO helps us deliver on that promise and meet learners’ needs. Receiving this recognition on such a highly regarded, international design stage validates our collaborative efforts to bring this innovative solution to market. I am truly honored.”

The RQI-P GO solution was one of nearly 11,000 award entries from 57 different countries covering nine disciplines and 80 categories. Recipients of this year’s iF Design Award were celebrated at a special ceremony in Berlin on May 16.

For additional information and to learn more about the RQI-P GO solution, visit the RQI Partners’ website. Visit iF Design Award to learn more about this year’s program.

 About the American Heart Association

The American Heart Association is a relentless force for a world of longer, healthier lives. We are dedicated to ensuring equitable health in all communities. Through collaboration with numerous organizations, and powered by millions of volunteers, we fund innovative research, advocate for the public’s health and share lifesaving resources. The Dallas-based organization has been a leading source of health information for nearly a century. Connect with us on heart.org, Facebook, Twitter or by calling 1-800-AHA-USA1.   

Laerdal is dedicated to our mission of helping save lives. For more than 60 years, Laerdal has remained a world leader in healthcare education, training and therapy solutions. Laerdal develops products, programs and digital solutions designed to increase survival and improve patient outcomes. By implementing evidence-based solutions within the areas of resuscitation, patient safety and global health, we address the changing needs of healthcare organizations and help build competence of healthcare providers, educators and lay rescuers. Together with our partners, we believe we can help save one million more lives, every year. Laerdal is a global company in 25 countries worldwide with the head office located in Stavanger, Norway. For more information, visit www.laerdal.com.

RQI Partners LLC is a partnership between the American Heart Association and Laerdal Medical, positioning the organizations to deliver innovative solutions that accelerate the impact of their lifesaving mission. The company blends the Association’s leadership in science and resuscitation education with Laerdal’s expertise in technology and implementation to deliver impactful and innovative resuscitation quality improvement programs. For more information, visit www.rqipartners.com and follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn.