Patient-Centered Field Research in Medtech

Paul Charlebois and Eric Olson are seated across from each other at a white table in a modern office setting. The man on the left has curly brown hair and is wearing a light blue button-up shirt. He is smiling and looking toward the man on the right, who has short gray hair, glasses, and is wearing a dark patterned shirt with a small microphone clipped to his collar. The background is a bright, blurred open-plan office with desks and chairs, creating a soft focus effect behind the subjects. A blue pen and a blurred stack of folders or documents are on the table in the foreground.
Resources

Patient-Centered Field Research in Medtech

Sector: Surgical
YouTube video thumbnail

In this Before the Build episode, Eric Olson and Paul Charlebois reflect on the value of patient-centered field research—and how firsthand observation can reframe design priorities and impact outcomes in profound ways.

Paul shares an eye-opening story from a research session observing Mohs surgery, a specialized outpatient procedure for removing skin cancer. At first glance, the experience seemed overwhelming: patients were marked with dotted lines, then underwent facial excisions that appeared disfiguring. But over the course of the day, something deeper unfolded. The real story wasn’t just the clinical effectiveness of the surgery, but how patients experienced care, recovery, and dignity throughout the process.

The team observed how the clinic balanced harsh realities—patients with visible, temporary facial trauma waiting together in a shared space—with quiet, thoughtful design choices: no mirrors, careful pacing, and empathetic reconstruction work. These details emphasized the importance of viewing each case as more than a procedure.

Why Patient-Centered Field Research Matters

As Eric and Paul discuss, patient-centered field research often reveals more than what a design spec or user survey ever could. When engineers and developers step into real clinical environments, they can witness the emotional and procedural nuances that define patient experience. This approach can ultimately lead to better market adoption, stronger user satisfaction, and more impactful innovation.

Even when your device isn’t central to the treatment itself, being present in the broader clinical journey gives design teams critical insight into where they can reduce friction and add value.

Enjoying Before the Build? Sign up to get new episodes sent to your inbox.

Subscribe to MedTech Insights
Penicillin mechanism explained using food analogy with cashew bar representing beta-lactam antibiotic binding to apple representing bacterial enzyme

How Penicillin Works

Antibiotics changed medicine forever, but many people still wonder how penicillin works at a biological level. Nick and Nigel break down the science behind one of the most important antibiotics ever discovered.

Patient undergoing optical eye imaging exam using a slit lamp style diagnostic device for detailed corneal and anterior eye analysis.

Recent Advances in Biophotonics

I was recently looking through the OPTICA trade journal Optics and Photonics News – specifically its summary of “Optics in 2025.” A few highlights were of particular interest to me in terms of their potential applicability to future medical devices.

Thumbnail with the words “Designing Out Bias” above an ECG waveform and a gloved hand holding a surgical instrument, highlighting bias in medical device design.

Sex and Gender Bias in Medical Devices

Ariana Wilson and Mark Drlik explore how bias can enter the development process and why engineers and manufacturers must actively work to prevent it.

Healthcare worker disposing hazardous medical waste into a biohazard container in a hospital setting

Wasted Potential: The Reality of Medical Waste by the Numbers

Did you know that 5-8% of total national carbon footprints come from the healthcare sector? Much of this (around 80%) is general waste – such as from office work – and the rest (~20%) requires special handling due to its dangerous nature.