In his recent journal publication and presentation at the International Conference on Applied Human Factors and Ergonomics, Jim discusses how the phrase ‘user needs’ has come to be defined, understood, and used within the context of medical device design.

From the article: “There is consensus in the field of medical device development that successful product development requires a deep understanding of the user and their needs. Despite the importance placed on identifying user needs, from practitioners and academics alike, there is little agreement on what constitutes a user need.”

In the article, Jim proposes a simplified framework for defining user needs and discusses how this framework can be used to improve consistency and reduce time spent on the development of user needs and user interface requirements. We believe it’s a topic worth thinking about, exploring, and discussing, as it could have important implications for safe and effective medical device development.  

If you’re interested in learning more, read the full article here: https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-030-51194-4_41