{"id":4180,"date":"2018-11-27T12:51:11","date_gmt":"2018-11-27T20:51:11","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.ddstudio.com\/?p=4180"},"modified":"2023-06-07T07:25:16","modified_gmt":"2023-06-07T14:25:16","slug":"human-centered-design-a-value-proposition-for-medical-technology","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ddstudio.com\/human-centered-design-a-value-proposition-for-medical-technology\/","title":{"rendered":"Human-Centered Design – A Value Proposition for Medical Technology"},"content":{"rendered":"
By Tracy Manning, DDSTUDIO Chief Strategy Officer<\/strong><\/p>\n From \u201czero to commercial\u201d in two years\u2014a savings of at least $5 million and three-to-four years research and development\u2014that is the return on investment BioFluidica CEO Rolf Muller, Ph.D., attributes to human-centered design.<\/p>\n Muller, a successful veteran of the biotechnology industry, engaged with DDSTUDIO and its human-centered design process when starting development of BioFluidica\u2019s liquid biopsy device because experience taught him that engineering a product that functions isn\u2019t enough to fuel success. Medical technology also needs to satisfy the wants and needs of its users in a way that stokes their desire for it.<\/p>\n Empathy for the end-user in their unique and complicated environment is the cornerstone of human-centered design. What does that look and feel like in the context of medical technology\u2019s bottom-line? Muller summed it up nicely when he joined me, IntelliGuard CEO Gordon Krass, and TruMed Systems CTO Joe Milkovits, on a panel about the topic at Biocom\u2019s Device Fest:<\/p>\n \u201cYour technology may do incredible things, but if the user doesn\u2019t use it, the technology doesn\u2019t matter.\u201d<\/p>\n The experts at Ernst and Young agree. The firm\u2019s 2018 Pulse of the Industry<\/em> report states that to succeed despite the pressures of reimbursement, rapidly evolving technologies and super-consumers, \u201ccompanies must evolve their focus from product-centric to the consumer experience.\u201d<\/p>\n De-mystifying Human-Centered Design<\/strong><\/p>\n I proposed the Device Fest panel as a forum for medical device executives to share their experiences with human-centered design and explain the value they\u2019ve found in it. The executives also addressed the misperception that human-centered design is a fuzzy concept. Far too often companies with cutting-edge technology focus on engineering a product that could be the best solution, but neglect the user\u2019s daily rituals and emotions.<\/p>\n Good design isn\u2019t just about making a product aesthetically pleasing. As DDSTUDIO CEO Charles Curbbun tells clients: \u201cWhen human-centered design is done right, the product starts to disappear and the experience takes over, allowing users to get into the flow.\u201d<\/p>\n Human-centered design uses five key elements to uncover the right product solution for the consumer.<\/p>\n Human-Centered Design in Action<\/strong><\/p>\n Our Biocom colleagues at Illumina<\/a>, Hologic<\/a> and Synthetic Genomics<\/a> offer many examples of human-centered design empowering product development. Human-centered design is equally beneficial for smaller companies, said those who spoke at Device Fest.<\/p>\n Muller said that in a scheduled brainstorming session,<\/u> BioFluidica\u2019s team proposed ditching plans to create their own processing system for its proprietary chips that hold the patient sample. Alternatively, they could use an already FDA-approved system from Hamilton Robotics. That out-of-the-box idea worked, resulting in the massive savings in time and money.<\/p>\n TruMed Systems incorporated human-centered design into its first generation AccuVax Vaccine Management System<\/a>, a refrigerator\/freezer storage and inventory system for handling vaccines in the doctor\u2019s office. It has since gathered valuable data to incorporate in its second-generation product, Milkovits said. Visiting offices where AccuVax would be used was invaluable, he said.<\/p>\n \u201cWe learned the important difference between a 28-inch-wide machine that fits through doors and into cubicles, versus a 36-inch device that doesn\u2019t do either,\u201d he said. That knowledge influenced many subsequent decisions, he added. Prototypes of multiple iterations allowed nurses to provide insightful analytics. We also learned increased height would enhance capacity, while internal changes would make the machine easier to build and more reliable, he said.<\/p>\n\n