The Challenge
Cardinal Health has long led the way in single patient use ECG and EKG cables, but they knew there was more they could do. Clinicians voiced frustrations with tangling, long setup times, and manual data entry, not to mention risks of cross-contamination from reusable cables. They needed a smarter, simpler way to monitor more without complicating workflows.
The Process
We started at the source: hospitals and clinical labs. Through in-depth generative research, we uncovered what clinicians truly needed, not just from the product, but from the entire user experience. That insight helped us define the ideal setup, then brainstorm around it using a Step–Stretch–Leap methodology.
Clinician Ideation Research Sessions
Clinician Ideation Research Stimuli
Some ideas pushed boundaries with futuristic thinking, while others focused on near-term improvements that could evolve the existing Kendall DL™ platform. As is expected in user centered design, all of them mapped directly back to user needs. 10 total problem areas were discovered in clinician research, and concepts explored how these problems might be remedied via modifications to electrodes, cable management, attachment points, and assistance in proper electrode placement on the patient. 23 concepts ranging from integral to aspirational were developed and refined in partnership with the Cardinal Health team to arrive at the final product solution.
Clear, cushioned electrode concept
Adhesive-free electrode concept
Retracting cable concept
The Kendall DL™ Multi Cable and Lead Wire System: a next-gen solution that builds on the trusted Kendall DL™ platform and takes it further. Now, clinicians can monitor ECG, EKG, SpO₂, and temperature using a single, disposable cable set with one connection point.
That single touchpoint reduces the risk of tangling, shortens setup time, and streamlines patient transfers (Cardinal Health Data on File, Multiparameter Monitoring System Timed Study, 2024). And because all cables are single patient use, it reduces the risk of cross-contamination, something clinicians told us mattered most (Lestari, Ryll & Kramer, 2013), (Cardinal Health Data on File – CHK091 Survey of 26 Physicians, Jul 13, 2022.
The Result
This wasn’t just a cable redesign. It was a systems-level rethink of how patient monitoring should work. The Kendall DL™ Multi System simplifies the setup for clinicians and gives Cardinal Health a differentiated edge in an evolving market with a single patient use solution that offers multiparameter readings.
Photo Courtesy of Cardinal Health
By keeping clinicians involved at every stage, from insight gathering to prototype testing, we helped Cardinal Health chart a path forward, delivering a product that doesn’t just check boxes, it raises the bar.
References
Cardinal Health (2024): Multiparameter Monitoring Timed Study.
Lestari T, Ryll S, Kramer A. Microbial contamination of manually reprocessed, ready to use ECG lead wire in intensive care units. GMS Hyg Infect Control. 2013;8(1):1-7.
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