WIP: Transdisciplinary Design Education in Biomedical Engineering and Industrial Design Towards Identifying Unmet Needs of U.S. Veterans and their Healthcare Teams

Christopher Arena; Elham Morshedzadeh; John L. Robertson; Andre Albert Muelenaer; Brad D. Hendershot; Jessica L. O'Leary; Aliza M. Lee; Devasmita Choudhury; Brandon C. Briggs; Pamela Jean VandeVord

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Conference: 2020 ASEE Virtual Annual Conference Content Access
Location: Virtual On line
Publication Date: June 22, 2020
Start Date: June 22, 2020
End Date: June 26, 2021
Conference Session: Design in Biomedical Engineering (Works in Progress) - June 24th
Tagged Division: Biomedical Engineering
Page Count: 6
DOI: 10.18260/1-2--35576
Permanent URL: https://peer.asee.org/35576
Download Count: 360

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Paper Authors

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Christopher Arena Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

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Chris is a Collegiate Assistant Professor at Virginia Tech in the Biomedical Engineering and Mechanics Department. He teaches senior design and quantitative physiology. Additionally, he is co-founder of VoltMed, a company dedicated to treating brain tumors with pulsed electric fields. Chris received his B.S. degree from the University of Virginia and Ph.D. degree from Virginia Tech, both in Biomedical Engineering. His research interests consist of therapeutic and diagnostic applications of directed energy, including electric fields and ultrasound.

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Elham Morshedzadeh Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University orcid.org/0000-0003-2983-6533

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Dr. Elham Morshedzadeh is an Assistant Professor in Industrial Design. Her Ph.D. research focus was in Usability and Interaction Evaluation. She received her MA in Industrial Design from Tabriz Art University in Iran and her Ph.D. in Design Science from Chiba University in Japan. Her research focuses on exploring methods to facilitate collaborative, community-centered products and services. By creating connections between students, faculty, professionals and communities of users, she has brought a variety of projects and recognition to our program.

Working with TEAM Malawi and TEAM Haiti, within the Center for International Research and Development, she and her students have been able to provide vital medical resources to underprivileged communities. And in collaboration with the Department of Biomedical Engineering and the Veteran Affairs Medical Center in Salem, VA, she is working on an NIH-funded project to identify and address the unmet healthcare needs of wounded veterans.

She has been instrumental in multiple, interdisciplinary, mass-produced projects focused on design thinking and user empathy, such as working with a team of mechanical engineers and computer scientists on projects for the National Iranian Oil Products and the National Bank of Iran.

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John L. Robertson Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

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Andre Albert Muelenaer Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

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Brad D. Hendershot DoD-VA Extremity Trauma and Amputation Center of Excellence, Walter Reed National Military Medical Center

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Pamela Jean VandeVord Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University orcid.org/0000-0003-3422-2704

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Abstract

Title: Work in Progress - Transdisciplinary Design Education in Biomedical Engineering and Industrial Design Towards Identifying Unmet Needs of US Veterans and their Healthcare Teams

The U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) and Veterans Affairs (VA) clinics and laboratories have the combined mission to maintain the strength and readiness of the active military force while maximizing the long-term health for those who previously served. Active-duty Service Members and Veterans represent a distinct culture with unique health-related needs that may stem from battlefield experiences, common diseases (e.g., heart disease, diabetes), or a combination thereof. Unique needs may also exist within the broader care team, which includes physicians, nurses, therapists, scientists, engineers, support staff, and family members. To uncover these needs, we developed a new course with a clinical immersion component. Our central hypothesis is that transdisciplinary student teams consisting of biomedical engineers (BME) and industrial designers (ID), with proper training and access to clinical environments, will be able to identify unmet needs of wounded warriors and subsequently develop viable solutions. Collaboration among BME and ID is standard in medical device design firms, however, only a handful of academic programs have been reported in literature. The program described herein will draw on several aspects related to biodesign, including content on disease state fundamentals, medical device case studies, and systematic techniques for needs finding and screening. Additionally, the student teams will receive complimentary education on user-centered research methods to enhance their ability to define new opportunities, user behaviors, the use environment, and social and cultural influences. Students will practice these techniques through clinical rotations and learning forums at the Salem VA Medical Center (SAVMC) and Walter Reed National Military Medical Center (WRNMMC), respectively. A pilot program with 15 students began in Spring 2020. Student outcomes will be based on evaluating (1) the students’ ability to recognize unmet needs that, if addressed, will benefit patients/providers and have the potential to support commercialization efforts, (2) the students’ appreciation for different roles and skill sets in medical device development, and (3) the students’ ability to direct a goal-oriented conversation with a range of audiences, including Veterans and healthcare professionals.

Citation
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Arena, C., & Morshedzadeh, E., & Robertson, J. L., & Muelenaer, A. A., & Hendershot, B. D., & O'Leary, J. L., & Lee, A. M., & Choudhury, D., & Briggs, B. C., & VandeVord, P. J. (2020, June), WIP: Transdisciplinary Design Education in Biomedical Engineering and Industrial Design Towards Identifying Unmet Needs of U.S. Veterans and their Healthcare Teams Paper presented at 2020 ASEE Virtual Annual Conference Content Access, Virtual On line . 10.18260/1-2--35576

TY - CPAPER
AB - Title: Work in Progress - Transdisciplinary Design Education in Biomedical Engineering and Industrial Design Towards Identifying Unmet Needs of US Veterans and their Healthcare Teams

The U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) and Veterans Affairs (VA) clinics and laboratories have the combined mission to maintain the strength and readiness of the active military force while maximizing the long-term health for those who previously served. Active-duty Service Members and Veterans represent a distinct culture with unique health-related needs that may stem from battlefield experiences, common diseases (e.g., heart disease, diabetes), or a combination thereof. Unique needs may also exist within the broader care team, which includes physicians, nurses, therapists, scientists, engineers, support staff, and family members. To uncover these needs, we developed a new course with a clinical immersion component. Our central hypothesis is that transdisciplinary student teams consisting of biomedical engineers (BME) and industrial designers (ID), with proper training and access to clinical environments, will be able to identify unmet needs of wounded warriors and subsequently develop viable solutions. Collaboration among BME and ID is standard in medical device design firms, however, only a handful of academic programs have been reported in literature. The program described herein will draw on several aspects related to biodesign, including content on disease state fundamentals, medical device case studies, and systematic techniques for needs finding and screening. Additionally, the student teams will receive complimentary education on user-centered research methods to enhance their ability to define new opportunities, user behaviors, the use environment, and social and cultural influences. Students will practice these techniques through clinical rotations and learning forums at the Salem VA Medical Center (SAVMC) and Walter Reed National Military Medical Center (WRNMMC), respectively. A pilot program with 15 students began in Spring 2020. Student outcomes will be based on evaluating (1) the students’ ability to recognize unmet needs that, if addressed, will benefit patients/providers and have the potential to support commercialization efforts, (2) the students’ appreciation for different roles and skill sets in medical device development, and (3) the students’ ability to direct a goal-oriented conversation with a range of audiences, including Veterans and healthcare professionals.
AU - Christopher Arena
AU - Elham Morshedzadeh
AU - John L. Robertson
AU - Andre Albert Muelenaer
AU - Brad D. Hendershot
AU - Jessica L. O'Leary
AU - Aliza M. Lee
AU - Devasmita Choudhury
AU - Brandon C. Briggs
AU - Pamela Jean VandeVord
CY - Virtual On line
DA - 2020/06/22
PB - ASEE Conferences
TI - WIP: Transdisciplinary Design Education in Biomedical Engineering and Industrial Design Towards Identifying Unmet Needs of U.S. Veterans and their Healthcare Teams
UR - https://peer.asee.org/35576
DO - 10.18260/1-2--35576
ER -