Summary
People with chronic lung disease are an underrepresented group when it comes to modern medical design. Inhalers needed for consistent long-term use by these patients are outdated and do not promote patient adherence. Our goal was to redesign the outer case of a diskus dry powder inhaler — the most widely used inhaler for people with chronic lung issues.
Our new design includes a digital dose counter, visual and auditory stimuli to confirm proper inhalation time, a discreet mouthpiece, and silicone over-molded hand grips. To avoid accidental dosage release, there is a lock on the upper silicone that releases powder only when it is pressed.
By incorporating feedback loops into the product, users are able to gain autonomy when treating their condition at home, and experience an increase in their overall quality of life.
ROLES
Experience design: Melanie Löff-Bird
Industrial design: Dipali Aphale
Understanding Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)
COPD is a progressive condition that usually manifests itself as a combination of emphysema and bronchitis. Together the two reduce the amount of oxygen exchange in the lungs and thicken the lining of the airways. Patients describe breathlessness as not being able to get air out of their lungs due to inflammation and close proximity to the diaphragm.
Insights from medical professionals
Pulmonologist
"My older [COPD] patients have the most trouble staying active and staying motivated to take their inhaler on a daily basis; they are often discouraged by the slow results.
As beneficial as rehab is, it cannot replace the medical treatment. COPD is a serious disease that requires proper medication."
Pulmonary Rehab
"As a part of the rehab program, we focus heavily on helping patients understand their disease and do workshops on breathing techniques and inhaler usage.
There is no right or wrong exercise really, because any form of consistent aerobic lung function will improve lung function."
Drug Development
"I recommend a spacer for many of my COPD patients [since] it helps increase the amount of medicine they intake with a single dosage."
Key Insight
“Patients waste so much of the medication in their inhalers because they don’t know how to use it correctly.”
Dr. Hayes, Pulmonologist
Insights from patient interviews
We developed a survey in order to better understand the pain points of inhaler users. We had a sample size of 54 people who completed the survey, ranging from teens to the elderly. The survey had various questions that allowed us to gain valuable primary data on each user's inhaler behaviors. The key attributes we derived were:
Discrete and portable
It should have a desirable form language, and should be easy to hold or store.
Fast operation
A patient needs to be able to use it quickly in case of an acute attack.
Visible doses
The remaining doses in the inhaler should be clearly visible so patients can anticipate when to refill.
Patient survey results
We wanted to find out if patients actually knew how to use their inhalers, so we conducted a survey with qualitative and quantitative questions that described the same topic differently to see if their answers remained consistent.
Our results indicate that users who reported taking long deep breaths also reported that they breathe in for 5 to 10 seconds — however, the correct time for a long deep breath is 10 to 20 seconds. We saw this as a clear gap in knowledge that contributes to very low patient adherence. Our findings led us to rethink how patients interact with their diskus dry powder inhaler by incorporating effective feedback loops that positively reinforce correct product usage.
