Medical Device User Research
We conduct medical device user research at several different points in the product’s lifecycle.
Early in the lifecycle, we will conduct competitive benchmark medical device testing in which users comparatively operate and assess a few different device prototypes.
This type of medical device research culminates in the crowning of a winning device, often followed by subsequent optimization round(s) of medical device research to assess reactions to intended improvements in identified usability shortcomings.
We also conduct “root-cause” medical device user research. These studies seek to identify the root causes in users’ reported difficulties operating a medical device.
For these “root cause” medical device research projects, we recruit from product quality complain (PQC) databases that identifies users who are experiencing and a specific device difficulty.
We mostly use an ethnographic approach for these particular medical device studies–observing and interviewing users in the exact settings (e.g., home, medical) in which they have experienced the reported difficulties using their medical devices.
Ethnographic approaches to medical device user research (vs. purely facility-based medical device use research) also reveal overlooked social and situational factors that play prominently in users’ device behaviors and preferences.
Our ethnographic study of long-acting antipsychotic injections in community mental heath settings, for instance, highlighted how nurse concern with safety shapes their injection approach and considerations.
Frequent Questions
What kinds of problems does your medical device user research uncover?
Projects range from diagnosing the root cause of users’ difficulties with an existing device to identifying product innovations that better meet users’ needs and desired outcomes.
What makes your approach different from standard usability testing?
We combine direct observation with in-depth interviewing rather than relying on either alone — this interplay lets us catch device-interaction problems users may not think to report, and then probe the reasoning behind them.
Do you work with both patients and healthcare provider users of a device?
Yes — our studies are designed around whoever the relevant device user is, whether that’s a patient, caregiver, nurse, or physician, since usability issues and root causes often differ across user types.