Shifting Focus
As the clinical design process has continued, I have quickly realized the importance of doing your due diligence with the research. My group originally recognized a need while we were in the clinic of physicians not being able to proactively monitor the fit of braces in cerebral palsy patients. We figured that because the process for obtaining a new brace took so long, it would be very beneficial for the patient to know that their current brace no longer fit properly before it became a bothersome issue. After meeting with several physicians and physical therapists, it was realized that this issue was not as prominent as we previously anticipated. The doctor noted that often times the patient does not even realize that they had outgrown the brace and the determining factor for needing a new one was often times just determined through a visual eye test. Changing this would require a large systematic change where the replacement would have to be so much better and still cost effective for it to be implemented.
With this knowledge, my group has decided to shift focus towards monitoring patient compliance. The people that we have talked to suggest that this is often an issue in the clinic as the only parameter for measuring if the brace is being worn is the word of the patient/family. This issue can have serious consequences as the purpose of bracing is often to prolong surgery. After putting ourselves in the perspective of the patient, their family, and the healthcare professionals who treat them, I have realized the importance of gaining empathy in determining a truly good need statement.
BME Design 