About Qualiteam
Mission:
Qualiteam is dedicated to advance postoperative care and to improve the overall hospital experience for patients worldwide by developing innovative wound supports that ultimately result in cost savings for healthcare systems.
We provide our products and services with compassion as if each patient was part of our family, and we treat customers and fellow team members with honesty, integrity, and respect in all aspects of our activities.
Qualiteam's production facility is based in Northern Italy on the southern slopes of the Alps. The company was founded in 1999 by Doris Hjorth, a cardiovascular nurse and a US certified perfusionist. Research and a passion to improve patient’s hospital experience while enhancing the daily day patient care for nurses, are fundamental qualities rooted into the company activities.
All product designs have an explicit focus on improving the patient’s comfort and entire recovery process in the hospital and at home, with the desired result to decrease complications and overall costs of hospitalization.
The introduction of QualiBreath in 2005 pioneered the design of external chest support devices and their use. QualiBreath is still the only dual-functional external chest support device with its constant, firm, lateral support on the sternum and the patient-activated reinforcement handles for additional circumferential support for coughing, sneezing and other painful situations.
A complete line of advanced postoperative care products has since been developed and are patented or patent pending. The unique QualiBra Advanced postoperative bra and sternum support for fuller-sized women who have had a sternotomy; the QualiBelly Advanced, the unequaled abdominal support for critical interventions, and the THOR chest compression binder dedicated to gynecomastia patients, are just few of a growing product portfolio.
Qualiteam is devoted to back up product design with scientific evidence and clinical research. Extensive literature reviews for both the use of our sternum & thorax supports and the use of our abdominal binders have been published in two white papers titled:
- Evaluation of external chest supports based on the entire recovery process in and out of the hospital to avoid offset costs of long term complications and medications
- Clinical evidence for using abdominal binders and a radical new design to make them more effective
Publications:
Qualiteam’s White paper: D. Hjorth, 2014. Evaluation of external chest supports based on the entire recovery process in and out of the hospital to avoid offset costs of long term complications and medications.
The function and efficiency of QualiBreath as a comfortable, pain-relieving, lateral support on the sternum has been documented in:
El-Ansary D, Waddington G, Adams R. Control of Separation in Sternal Instability by Supportive Devices: A Comparison of an Adjustable Fastening Brace, Compression Garment, and Sports Tape. Arch Phys Med Rehabil 2008;89:1775-81.
QualiBreath is referenced in:
Brocki BC, Thorup CB, Andreasen JJ. Precautions related to midline sternotomy in cardiac surgery. A review of mechanical stress factors leading to sternal complications. Eur J Cardiovasc Nurs. 2010;9:77-84.
Cahalin LP, LaPier TK, Shaw, DK. Sternal Precautions: Is It Time for Change? Precautions versus Restrictions – A Review of Literature and Recommendations for Revision. Cardiopulmonary Physical Therapy Journal Vol 22 No 1 March 2011
Qualiteam’s White paper: D. Hjorth, 2017. Clinical Evidence for Using Abdominal Binders and a Radical New Design to Make Them More Effective.
About post-operative health care:
Download the infographic here.
References:
- JF Dasta et al. Daily cost of an intensive care unit day: the contribution of mechanical ventilation. Crit Care Med. 2005 Jun;33(6):1266-71.
- V.Fowler, Jr, et al. Clinical Predictors of Major Infections After Cardiac Surgery Circulation. 2005;112:I-358-I-365
- N Rao et al. Prevention of postoperative mediastinitis: a clinical process improvement model. J. Healthcare Quality. Jan/Feb 2004;26(1)
- M Copeland et al. Breast size as a risk factor for sternal wound complications following cardiac surgery. Archives of Surgery. 1994;129(7):757-759.
- D. El-Ansary et al. Control of Separation in Sternal Instability by Supportive Devices: A Comparison of an Adjustable Fastening Brace, Compression Garment, and Sports Tape. Arch Phys Med Rehabil 2008;89:1775-81.
- LP Cahalin et al. Sternal Precautions: Is It Time for Change? Precautions versus Restrictions – A Review of Literature and Recommendations for Revision, Cardiopulm Phys Ther Journal, Vol 22, No. 1 Mar 2011
- O. Cheifetz et al.The Effect of Abdominal Support on Functional Outcomes in Patients Following Major Abdominal Surgery: A Randomized Controlled Trial Physiotherapy Canada, Volume 62, Number 3