THE COLOUR OF PAIN 2.0 MEASURING PHYSICAL & MENTAL PAIN Sasha Mitchell.
The Brief.
How can we use colour in the medical profession to improve diagnosis and management for patients suffering from long term and chronic pain?
Facts. Chronic pain affects more than two-fifths of the UK population, meaning that around 28 million adults are living with pain that has lasted for three months or longer. There are many pain scales being used around the world. [here you can see more unique scales]. However, there lacks professional use of visual tools to the communication of pain, with the only method being used by most healthcare professionals is the 1-10 scale. The communication between patients and their families, friends, carers and more importantly healthcare professionals need to be improved. Developing the current method of communication could dramatically improve a patient’s initial diagnosis, illness or injury management and overall mental health. Many of these patients key struggle are not being clearly understood, heard, or believed by those around them. A tool needs to be developed to aid this line of communication.
Target Audience. • • • • •
Chronic pain patients Chronic illness patients Patients in pain Family & friends of patients Healthcare providers
This project is to aid patients suffering with severe or long standing pain. This tool will be used as a language to help patients communicate with their families, friends and healthcare proffesionals.
Objectives.
Research.
• Update/renue the 1-10 pain scale • Find a new method of communicating pain visually and creativly • Find ways which colour can aid the communication of pain • Use colour to interpret new meaning of pain using a chart, scale, publication or device.
• Current methods of measuring pain • Creative ways to communicate pain • Research how pain can be translated through colour • Interview pain patients to find out what they feel would help them communicate their pain
Play around with colour, shape, and layout to find way routes for this project to achieve it aims
Develop the most successful route to a clear outcome using the results I find from research and testing
experimentation
development
events charities workshops distribution print 4+ weeks
timeline.
4 weeks
Research
testing
Find out the problems pain patients are facing & research what current methods there are
Test some of the optional routes with pain patients, supporters, and if I can, healthcare professionals
Mock-UP / kickstarter Finalise the chosen idea with mockups, proven research and testing ready to show to potential investors & a kickstarter campaign