Tag: medical and healthcare

Over the last year, connected technologies have become even more prevalent in healthcare. At a time when visiting a hospital has become increasingly difficult for patients, apps and software-enabled devices have become useful tools to facilitate access to services and self-care.

In this article, Marlies Havenith – Senior Consultant – Human Factors & Usability at PDD – explains why, as connectivity continues to permeate healthcare environments, keeping users at the centre is now more imperative than ever. 

As medical innovators we all want to support the design of safe and usable medical devices. Yet, in a healthcare environment that is going through fast, unprecedented change, where standard tools and processes are harder to apply, that aim is not without challenge.

Socio-technical systems design was originally conceived by Fred Emery and Eric Trist. It is an approach to understanding the system around technology which forms part of our focus on front end research – i.e. the process where we create solutions that will naturally resonate with people.

Customisation and personalisation; concepts that are rapidly becoming “de riguer” for the millennial generation. The consequence is that expectations around tailor made solutions are growing.

Mobile phone software applications are a ubiquitous part of society. In 2018, there were estimated to be 205.4 billion smartphone health app downloads (worldwide). In 2021 this figure is expected to rise to over 352.9 billion.

We are pleased to announce that the GentleCath Air intermittent catheter – a recent PDD healthcare project – has won the iF Design Award.

This year’s conference, in an unusually chilly Florida, saw the world’s largest pharma and medical device companies represented in an intimate and cooperative environment. The key theme was the nature of partnerships to improve healthcare outcomes – whether within internal teams, between pharma and CROs/CMOs or between companies as diverse as GSK and Apple