We’re the Training for Development of Innovative Control Technologies Project

We’re working to minimize the risk of occupational exposure to needlesticks, sharps injuries, and other blood and body fluid exposures through smarter, safer medical device evaluation, design, and implementation.

Needlesticks and sharps injuries are the most common form of occupational transmission of bloodborne pathogens. Today, mucocutaneous exposures, especially exposures to unprotected eyes, continue to pose an unacceptable risk to bloodborne and infectious diseases.

The prevalence of bloodborne disease is an ongoing public health threat. In fact, within the last five years, hepatitis C has killed more Baby Boomers (born 1945-1965) than 60 other infectious diseases combined. Since HIV is more of a chronic disease and people living with HIV access healthcare facilities regularly throughout their care, co-infection with HBV, HCV, and multidrug-resistant organisms, like Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is a growing concern.

Occupational exposures to blood and body fluids as a result of administering care to patients can result in exposure to not just one bloodborne pathogen, but multiple pathogenic organisms in a singular incident. This is why continued focus on protecting personnel working in healthcare industries is more important than ever.

Started in 1990, TDICT is a collaborative effort of frontline healthcare workers, product designers, and industrial hygienists dedicated to preventing exposure to blood through better design and evaluation of medical devices and equipment. TDICT was once based at the Trauma Foundation, on the San Francisco General Hospital campus. Sites of initial TDICT investigation included the Emergency Department, Intensive Care Unit, and general medical wards at San Francisco General, as well as the San Francisco Fire Department and Emergency Response.

TDCIT’s current work is now being led in partnership with the International Safety Center and focuses on bringing TDICT resources, evaluation forms, and design criteria up to date so that healthcare facilities have access to the best possible information and tools.

We are able to update, expand, and innovate our TDICT products and make them available to institutions around the world, in part, to the generous charitable contributions and grants of medical device and personal protective equipment (PPE) manufacturers.

We thank them for their commitment to improving healthcare worker safety.

If your organization is interested in funding the update or upgrade of a TDICT evaluation form, please contact us.