Why the Human Factor is Critical to Successful Medical Imaging, Part 3: Benefits of Human-Centric Design

This is the final installment in a 3-part series on how human-centric design fosters medical imaging success. Part 1 detailed how overlooking the human factor renders imaging equipment useless. Part 2 explored ways to address common imaging issues with human-centric design. In Part 3, we’ll reveal how human-centric design benefits patients, hospitals, and clinics.

Imagine you run a medical imaging clinic that screens for breast cancer. You’re committed to providing premium care, and you’re excited about a revolutionary new MRI breast coil that promises to capture high-quality images, improve diagnostic accuracy, and enable early detection. However, you quickly find your patients dislike the machine – the design is flawed, causing pain and discomfort that forces patients to reposition and makes it impossible to obtain clear images. Despite its advanced technology, the expensive breast coil is useless, and your investment is wasted.

That’s a real-world scenario that happened to a Michigan clinic, underscoring the need for OEMs and caregivers to consider the human factor when introducing new technology. No matter how advanced a given technology is, it’s only effective if caregivers and patients can use it. Here are five valuable benefits of incorporating human-centric design in medical imaging.

1. Enhanced Patient Comfort

No one wants to experience pain and discomfort when undergoing medical imaging – a time that’s often already stressful as patients are anxious about diagnosis. When medical imaging devices are designed to accommodate people of all shapes and sizes, patients are more comfortable and do not suffer pain.

Designing imaging equipment for the human form factor also makes it easier for caregivers to properly position patients, eliminating frustration and fostering a better overall patient experience.

2. Superior Image Quality

Pain and discomfort forces patients to repeatedly reposition, making it impossible to obtain quality images. Conversely, comfortable, pain-free patients find it easy to remain stationary during imaging, eliminating artifacts and resulting in superior quality images.

3. Improved Clinical Outcomes

Better image quality grants caregivers clear and accurate pictures of internal structures, enabling them to prescribe more effective, less invasive treatment and conduct more precise procedures.

Greater precision and less invasiveness lead to shorter hospital stays, reduced pain, and faster recovery times. Ultimately, superior image quality fosters better clinical outcomes.

4. Better Reputation and Marketability

Patients who experience pain and discomfort are likely to share those negative experiences with friends, family, and colleagues – and they may leave poor online reviews. Patients who have positive experiences, on the other hand, are likely to refer their loved ones to the same hospitals and clinics they visit.

Word-of-mouth advertising is powerful, and when you can deliver an exceptional patient experience, you’re more likely to get positive online reviews and testimonials that enhance your reputation and improve your marketability.

5. Greater ROI

In our MRI breast coil example, the Michigan clinic made a significant investment in a device that was supposed to help provide better care – but since patients couldn’t use it, the clinic wasted an investment it could not recoup. Fortunately for the clinic (and its patients), it was able to partner with a medical device manufacturer to develop a positioning system that enabled patients to undergo MRIs comfortably and pain-free.

Positive patient experiences, superior images, better clinical outcomes, exceptional reputations, and the ability to use the equipment you invested in all drive better ROI for hospitals and clinics.

Next Step

If you represent an OEM, hospital, or clinic, consider the benefits of human-centric design and how it can foster better outcomes for patients, caregivers, and healthcare organizations. Evaluate the current patient experience and identify opportunities for improvement through interfacing solutions that comfortably accommodate all patients.