The January 31, 2017 edition of MedTech Inteligence features a MEDdesign blog by Niall Redmond. Adding the Human Factor to Medical Devices explores how medical device human factors should address not only the obvious or physical, but also dig deep.
Redmond states: “Throughout history, medical devices have been designed to fulfill a specific task. In the beginning these were simplistic devices created by the physician, or in conjunction with the blacksmith and tailor down the road. As science progresses, the possibilities have skyrocketed. Medical device design and development has moved from the physician, tailor and blacksmith to engineering firms and medical device consultancies”.
He concludes, “By using human factors engineering in combination with design psychology, what should be an intimidating and stressful procedure becomes something quite the opposite. This often boils down to the subjectivity of comfort and how to design for it”.