A Collision of New Technologies

MODERN MEDICINE

A COLLISION OF NEW TECHNOLOGIES

We are in the middle of a collision of new technologies that are changing design forever. Wirelessly connected products are the norm. High-speed data provides instantaneous access to more information than ever before. Machine learning is scouring everything ever published on the planet, and artificial intelligence (AI) is being applied to study big data to identify patterns and probabilities to assist clinical decision-making. Surgical systems with integrated micro robotics, 3D vision systems and synthetic haptics are extending surgeon performance. The intersection between these new high-tech platforms is reshaping the design brief, defining a broader scope and increasing responsibility for designers like never before. Three significant change agents are transforming the role of industrial designers and the complexity of R&D teams in the design of med-tech products.

Big Data, AI and the Clinician Dashboard Today we have access to all the data. Everything published on every topic is available with a keystroke. Powerful machine-learning algorithms process this vast database looking for patterns and probabilities of occurrence in the future. But data alone is overwhelming and meaningless without some tool set to help us make sense of it. AI is serving this role. AI agents are increasingly providing highly curated results to healthcare professionals in ways that support and expedite decision-making.

AI is reshaping the clinician interface by removing the rote task of manually scanning volumes, the intrinsic human error and the copious amount of time required by this traditional process. For example, using AI a radiologist will not need to study dozens of slices from an MRI scan because an AI agent will instantaneously scan, assess and flag all anomalies and identify the probabilities of their root causes. The implications are profound. Not only does this eliminate pressure on the clinician to manually scan disparate chunks of information under increasing pressure to improve patient throughput, but AI agents can draw from global databases, which can dramatically increase diagnostic reliability and improve patient outcomes. Visually simplifying and reducing the density of data presented to clinicians on traditional dashboards will decrease time to diagnose, reduce human error and stress, and free up precious time that can be reallocated to clinician-patient dialog.

Multisensory Integration Robotic surgical systems represent the state-of-the-art in the complexity and design of systems that rely on multisensory integration. 3D vision systems with graphic overlays of imaging and physiological data combined with synthetic haptics and micro-robotics are attempting to replace natural-born multisensory capabilities.

Never before has the role of human factors engineering been more important. The human factors that now need to be considered in complex surgical systems include issues related to eye tracking, eye-hand-foot motor control coordination and movement times, synthetic haptics, and visual and acoustic feedback, to mention a few. These human factors bring together highly specialized disciplines that never intersected in the past. Experts in motor learning,

motor control, synthetic haptics, robotics, acoustics and AI now join traditional industrial design and engineering teams, dramatically increasing the complexity of the development team itself.

As global leaders such as Intuitive, Stryker, Medtronic, J&J and others build more advanced robotic surgical platforms that attempt to extend human capabilities, their R&D teams have gained a newfound respect for the design of the human body. As the fidelity of these new robotic platforms matures, their impact on the future of surgery will be profound.

The Growing Chasm between Hospital and Homecare The omnipresence of the internet, Wi-Fi and cloud portals is bringing traditional services out of the hospital directly to the patient. Telemedicine is beginning to transform the delivery of healthcare, but getting there demands a rethink of doctor-patient interactions and what diagnostics can be accurately and reliably conducted remotely based on the fidelity of video and audio. Data speeds directly influence its reach. The throttle on this growth relies on the last few miles of rural infrastructure.

While high-speed fiber networks are common in metropolitan areas and between populace cities, reaching remote rural homeowners is challenging. Short-term healthcare providers mitigate these challenges by building local high-tech walk-in clinics that are within a short car ride, but the future will be in bringing these services directly into the home. Getting to the home is not the only barrier to entry, however.

While smartphones are commonplace in populated areas, flip phones with limited features and functionality are not uncommon in rural markets, creating a substantial barrier to connecting to online portals and services. Socioeconomics play a parallel role whereby individuals in rural areas who require healthcare services commonly have a lower education, a lower income and less sophistication with digital devices, further compounding the challenge of bringing healthcare into the home. Age also plays a role, creating additional physical and cognitive barriers to usability due to decrements in dexterity, vision and strength and a lack of familiarity with digital technology in general.

As high technology continues to change at lightning speed, the gap between the haves and have-nots is creating a chasm that will fundamentally change the business model for reaching remote and rural markets. It’s not unreasonable to predict that the mobile device, smartphone, tablet or modem will need to be part of the package of goods delivered to the patient by the healthcare provider. Getting the right technology in place in these remote markets is only part of the challenge. The role of design and human factors engineering will be key in providing intuitive and easy-to-use solutions that do not bring customer service hotlines to their knees.

What’s Next The intersection of technology and healthcare introduces numerous new and novel challenges and opportunities for industrial designers today. It demands that the scope of the design brief expand to embrace all aspects of the user experience—to go beyond the traditional product to include the design of related apps, portals, websites, instructional materials and services to provide a unified user and brand experience that is meaningful and intuitive and delivers bona fide value to the user and ROI to the healthcare provider.

Moving forward, new-product development teams will increasingly become interdisciplinary to address these expanding needs, leading to projects that are significantly more complicated and challenging to manage and execute.

These sea changes in healthcare design will lead to an expanding role for industrial designers. Human factors engineering will also play an increasingly critical role in balancing user needs and human capabilities as the intersection between technology and healthcare design reshapes the complexity of design projects. The challenge moving forward will be to tame technology to avoid adding features and functionality just because that’s possible and instead stay grounded in utility and user needs. World-class design solutions must be entirely shaped and informed by the way people think, feel and behave.

—Bryce G. Rutter, PhD, IDSA, and Megan Kohnen, IDSA bryce@metaphase.com; megan@metaphase.com

Bryce Rutter, the founder and CEO of Metaphase, is a renowned specialist in ergonomic product design and the leading worldwide expert in the design of high-touch products for Fortune 500 brands.

Megan Kohnen, director of innovation and business strategy at Metaphase, leads strategic initiatives to develop innovative research programs that use human factors to shape business strategies for numerous global brands.