User involvement in early-stage design of medical training devices – case of a palpation task trainer prototype

Design of new medical training equipment is demanding as unavoidable complexity and ambiguity facing designers must be addressed in the early stages of the development. In this paper, a novel concept for abdominal palpation training is presented and used to exemplify challenges and approaches for designing new medical training equipment. Concluding the initial development of the palpation training concept, experienced medical personnel evaluated a conceptual prototype. A Likert scale questionnaire, a clinical assessment by participants, and recorded sensor data were used to evaluate prototype functionalities, perceived tactileand visual realism, and usability of the concept in medical training. Obtained results are used to discuss insights for further development of the concept. Further, the paper discusses observations from user interactions and considerations regarding fidelity of medical training equipment prototypes. Moreover, it highlights the benefits of utilizing mixed-method research to identify areas of improvement for conceptual prototypes even before initiating industrial development efforts. By this, designers can ensure that user needs, product requirements, and sufficient fidelity are collectively captured in new medical training equipment in the early design stages.