TrachPal-Track Education Model

TrachPal is a hands-on simulation tool for caregivers of children with new tracheostomy tubes, built to help them prepare for discharge. It complements high-fidelity simulation training with something far more accessible: a model caregivers can practise on at the bedside and outside scheduled education sessions.

The model is a compact white body with a stoma opening (the green ring) that takes a real tracheostomy tube, so caregivers can rehearse inserting, securing and changing it with the actual device they will use at home. The smooth, squared-off body is most likely 3D printed.

Repeated, deliberate practice is the goal: the more often a caregiver can run through the steps, the more confident they are when it matters, which supports a safer transition from hospital to home.

Tip: for a trainer that is handled over and over, print with thick walls and rounded edges, and make the stoma insert a separate, replaceable part so it can be swapped when it wears.

Partner: Weill Cornell Emergency Medicine Simulation Program