UX in Device Design: What MedTech Companies Must Take into Consideration

The UX of every single person in the operating room must be considered.

Packaging is a huge aspect to pay attention to. How easy is the device to identify when a busy OR nurse needs to grab one for the surgeon? How easy is the package to open or reclose? Labeling might not automatically come to mind when thinking about important UX features, but a package must clearly show what the device is and how many are in the package, as well as prominent badges to indicate the optimum storage temperature of a device.

When a medtech company is considering UX along a user journey, it should be a very holistic approach that examines every step in the process of use in an operating room. Device manufacturers have to enter the mind of each person who is, at any given moment, using their device and ensure that the design of the product or the packaging doesn’t impair the experience.

Understand the patient is also a user

Just as medtech developers interview surgeons during the design process for a medical device, they should also interview the patients about what they feel after a surgery and what the optimal path to recovery would be for them. Basically, device manufacturers need to get the patient’s point of view.

Some of this may seem obvious: patients don’t want to feel pain. But how does device design impact the post-op segment of the patient’s user journey? Take implants for example. When a patient leaves a medical facility, they do not want to feel the implants inside of them. Optimally, any temporary implant should be absorbable and disappear after their job is done. If an implant must be removed, how can it be designed for the least invasive removal procedure? These are important questions that a device developer can only answer with the aid of feedback from patients.

Risk analysis and UX go hand-in-hand

It’s rare for a medical device manufacturer to work with an industrial designer as part of the initial steps in the development of a product, while R&D engineers tend to focus more on making a product work and less on the user experience. However, it’s a good idea for companies to start consulting with designers at a very early stage, even if the person is not on the team full time. Schedule a pre-clinical lab, and then a post-market lab to validate and revalidate a device. Analyze the risks and hazards at every step along the user journey. Whenever any changes are made to the design, it’s critical to do another risk analysis.

Surgeons spend long hours in the OR, so it’s crucial that their experience with the medical devices they use be a positive one. Although other OR attendants and patients may spend varying amounts of time with a device, the same holds true for their experiences. This also helps with the adoption of a device, because a good experience leads to affirmative recommendations. As with any other consumer product, UX can ultimately make or break the long-term success of a medical device manufacturer, which is why it should be an integral consideration along all steps of the development process.