Medilabel Safety System©
- Client Amgros/Trygfonden
- Project Information & Packaging Design
- Year 2007-2008
New Label Design saves Patient Lives
In 2007, e-Types won a competition launched by the Danish Patient Safety Association for a new label design for drugs used in hospital dispensiaries. The task was to design a label that could help
prevent medication errors caused by confusion related either to the name of the medicine or the packaging design. The winning Medilabel Safety System is based around 9 innovative features, securing
maximum differentiation and legibility.
In 2006, roughly 5000 incidences of wrongful medication were reported to the Danish National Board of Health. Errors that in extreme incidences can be fatal. One of the reasons is the unclear
labeling and wrongful handling of medical products. In 2007, e-Types won a national competition to improve labeling design and created a system that emphasized function before everything. The
design system is based on a stringent analysis, metaphor theory and an enormous number of prototypes and working hours. The Medilabel Safety System has now been implemented to cover all internally
produced medicine in all Danish hospitals and is meeting widespread interest among medical professionals internationally.
e-Types was declared winners of the competition on the 8th of June 2007. The jury consisting of a mixture of medical professionals and design experts said:
e-Types was declared winners of the competition on the 8th of June 2007. The jury consisting of a mixture of medical professionals and design experts said:
"e-Types' solution meets the demands stated in the competition portfolio in a stylish and professional manner. e-Types' labels are easy to read and the hierarchy of information is logical and clear cut. The specially designed typography is elegant and modern and the labels are neat and free of clutter, creating an accessible and functional design. The project is based on stringent analysis, which ensures a holistic and thorough solution that can be expanded over time to incorporate new products and product categories."
The design has been implemented nationwide in all Danish hospitals in the spring of 2008.
Typeface for extreme legibility
As part of the project, e-Types developed a typeface specifically for use on medical labels. One of the challenges that had to be solved was: how do we make labels legible - even on tiny labels for vials that are used in the operation theatre? The answer was to create a typeface with legibility as the number one concern. This resulted in the typeface 'Medic', which can be acquired on a license basis by other interested parties.
Typeface for extreme legibility
As part of the project, e-Types developed a typeface specifically for use on medical labels. One of the challenges that had to be solved was: how do we make labels legible - even on tiny labels for vials that are used in the operation theatre? The answer was to create a typeface with legibility as the number one concern. This resulted in the typeface 'Medic', which can be acquired on a license basis by other interested parties.
e-Types has registered the design for the Medilabel Safety System and the typeface Medic at EU level. The design is continuously being presented to design- and healthcare professionals a.o. The
Danish National Patient Safety Conference 2008 and the international conference "Healthcare Systems, Ergonomics & Patient Safety", Strassbourg, June 2008.
Read much more about Medilabel Safety System in the detailed case descriptions and accompanying video documentation:
Medilabel Safety System - Case in full
Medilabel Safety System - Shortguide for nurses
Read much more about Medilabel Safety System in the detailed case descriptions and accompanying video documentation:
Medilabel Safety System - Case in full
Medilabel Safety System - Shortguide for nurses
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