Clinician and patient perspectives on a novel device for measuring urine flow volume and voiding patterns

At least 60% of adults over 40 experience symptoms related to the storage passage of urine that negatively affect their health and quality of life. Our research team is developing a device to deliver noninvasive long-term urine measures at the patient’s home or clinic. We employed a participatory-design approach to guide development in understanding end-user needs. We gathered data from 45 stakeholders through focus groups with clinicians (N = 40, including medical doctors (urologists), pelvic-floor physical therapists, and nurses) and semi-structured interviews with patients and caregivers (N = 5). Our results showed similarities (e.g., collecting urine storage and voiding data) and differences (e.g., the importance of pelvic-floor function for physical therapists, and the associated workload of using the device for nurses) among the three clinician groups. There were differences between clinicians and patients, the latter emphasizing the shame and discomfort associated with current diagnostic procedures. We gathered participants’ views on the advantages and disadvantages of the proposed device, considerations for use, and design suggestions. Our results emphasize the importance of including the end users in early design stages of a novel technology tailored to the target population.