Creating Safe Usable Medical Device Solutions

Developing medical device solutions happens at the intersection of technology and business.

Technology stakeholders often ask, “What can we build?” and business leaders ask, “How can we achieve our goals?” However, these viewpoints often overlook a crucial perspective: that of the user. In the development of medical device solutions, balancing these perspectives can be challenging. A successful project, one that launches on time, within budget, and meets customer needs, requires ongoing engagement from all stakeholders. This approach not only ensures highly effective, widely adopted devices but also reduces costs by addressing potential issues early, through closer collaboration from the start.

Best practices to achieve safe, usable medical device solutions, ensuring user needs are prioritized and integrated throughout the process:

• Collaboration Across Teams: Design and development teams must work together closely to avoid inefficiencies and rework. They each bring essential insights: the development team understands the device’s capabilities, while the design team focuses on user needs.
• Healthy Tension: Differences in approach between teams should be embraced as healthy tension, which can lead to innovative ideas when managed properly.
• Early Prototyping: Prototyping early in the process helps obtain user feedback and fine-tune the design before significant resources are committed.
• User Involvement: Direct user input is crucial for understanding real-world challenges and ensuring that the device meets user needs.
• Long-term Collaboration: Continuous collaboration throughout the lifecycle of the project increases the likelihood of success by integrating user feedback and business goals effectively.

Close collaboration between design and development, with user input, reduces risks and costs but may face organizational challenges. When supported throughout the lifecycle and embraced as an organizational mindset, this collaboration ensures the UX/UI is safe, effective, and aligned with business goals. Learn how MedAcuity’s approach blends strategic consulting with full software development lifecycle expertise, helping clients achieve reliable, compliant, and innovative medical device solutions.