A complete profession under stress

According to the MLP Health Report 2022, even without the pandemic and other crises, a worrying development has been emerging for quite some time. Ongoing demographic changes will lead to declining revenues, rising expenditures and an increase in shortage of professional health care workers. Good care is only possible with a sufficient amount of skilled staff. However, it is precisely this problem that all medical institutions are familiar with, not only in rural areas. Massive succession problems are also forecast for the future due to retirement of ageing health care staff, especially in structurally weak areas. This applies not only to doctors, but also to practice and nursing staff and it is becoming increasingly difficult to not only recruit new personnel, but also to retain the existing staff. In order to combat the shortage of qualified personnel, better working conditions such as, for example, more time for patients, the furthering of higher education and better remuneration are important.

On the technical side, increased demands are also placed on medical devices. A medical device rarely stands and works on its own, it is connected to other systems and exchanges data. Important information must be available quickly, fail-safe and in a reliable manner. No matter how connected or technologically advanced medical devices are today, ease of use is a top priority. The risk of errors caused by misleading or ambiguous design elements must be avoided. Correct operation of the medical device is often a question of life and death, which is why it is so important that devices are safe, error-free and quick to operate.

ODU connectors meet many requirements, especially in the medical sector, where, for example, ODU MEDI-SNAP® plastic connectors are generally deployed. The space-saving product design enables high performance in the smallest installation space thanks to small housings, a high pole density and 90° variants. In order to reduce the risk of electric shock to a minimum, the ODU MEDI-SNAP® connectors are touch-protected and designed to fulfil the requirements for 2 MOPP and 2 MOOP in accordance with IEC 60601-1. The systems are available as push-pull or break‐away connectors to enable appropriate mating and de-mating depending on the application. Each connector can be mated to the correct socket thanks to its individual mechanical coding. The connectors are also available in up to seven different colors to further support safe and intuitive operation via visual mapping. The ODU MEDI-SNAP® connectors are available in sizes 1, 2 and 3.5 and are designed in the largest version for up to 41 signal contacts. They are flexible in application and easy to handle.

ODU connectors are designed for optimal ease of use while maximizing patient protection, allowing users to focus on what’s important: The patients.

Further information at www.odu-connectors.com/products/circular-connectors/odu-medi-snap