Exploring the role of design thinking in improving patient adherence to self-administered treatment technology

Elmansy, Rafiq Refaat (2021) Exploring the role of design thinking in improving patient adherence to self-administered treatment technology. Doctoral thesis, Northumbria University.

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Abstract

Poor treatment adherence is an increasing challenge for healthcare, especially for chronic diseases and patient-administered treatments. This research has investigated how design thinking can improve adherence in self-administered treatment technology. The study has three main objectives. The first is to investigate the current state of adherence and its involvement in the design process. For this objective, literature about adherence theoretical frameworks, design thinking, and medical technology was reviewed. Also, in five SME case studies, interviews provided evidence of consideration of adherence during the design process. The second objective was to explore consideration of adherence at an early stage of a design process. Postgraduate students on an MA Design project were observed while applying design thinking processes to develop a medical solution. The third objective was to assess a framework though an eDelphi study that built consensus from panellists on adherence factors that influence patient adherence to a treatment technology regimen, and the importance of each factor.

A number of gaps were identified after addressing the first objective: 1) a lack of an adherence framework that considers the nature of self-administered treatment technology products, 2) There is a lack of a practical mechanism to consider adherence factors during the design and development of medical treatment technology, and 3) There is a need for a resource that can guide and help companies to consider adherence factors during the design process.

Based on the research findings, the study claims two contributions to knowledge: an adherence framework that identifies factors that affect patient-administered technology treatment adherence and their level of importance, and a design-focused adherence canvas, based on the adherence framework (1st claim), which is a practical resource that record how adherence factors are being consideration and their level of importance.

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