J.A.C. Rietjens
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1
Caught Between Two Silences
Exploring Support for Sexual Well-being in Relationships Affected by Incurable Cancer
Sexuality and intimacy remain important aspects of quality of life in the context of incurable cancer and palliative care, yet they are often difficult to address within healthcare practice and intimate relationships. People with incurable cancer and their partners experience changes in intimacy, communication, and relational balance, while support for these experiences is often limited or primarily medically oriented. This graduation project explores how design can sensitively support sexual well-being in palliative care.
The project was conducted as part of a broader research initiative at Erasmus Medical Center and focused on translating qualitative research insights into a concrete design concept. A combination of design research methods and qualitative healthcare research approaches, including literature review and in-depth interviews, was used to explore the problem space.
The research identified two central relational mechanisms: autonomy and communication. Partners often struggle to express personal needs without guilt, while communication about intimacy becomes challenging due to emotional burden and shifting relational roles. These insights informed the formulation of design opportunities and guided a broad exploration of possible design directions.
Through a structured selection process, one concept direction was chosen for further development: the Pillow Partner. This concept consists of a pair of connected pillows that allow partners to record and listen to intimate voice messages. It aims to support autonomy by enabling control over timing and emotional exposure, and to support communication by offering an indirect and less confrontational medium for sharing sensitive thoughts.
The concept was refined through expert interviews and exploratory user interviews, which provided insights into emotional impact, usability, and contextual sensitivity. Key findings emphasized the importance of a warm, non-medical and gender-neutral design, physical comfort, and a sense of connection, while also revealing tensions between autonomy, simplicity, and relational responsibility.
Finally, implementation considerations were explored, focusing on low-threshold introduction, discretion, privacy, and the supportive role of healthcare professionals. Rather than presenting a final solution, this project offers a grounded design concept and strategic directions for further development. It demonstrates how design can meaningfully contribute to supporting communication and autonomy in intimate relationships affected by incurable illness, while acknowledging the ethical and emotional complexity of this domain. ...
The project was conducted as part of a broader research initiative at Erasmus Medical Center and focused on translating qualitative research insights into a concrete design concept. A combination of design research methods and qualitative healthcare research approaches, including literature review and in-depth interviews, was used to explore the problem space.
The research identified two central relational mechanisms: autonomy and communication. Partners often struggle to express personal needs without guilt, while communication about intimacy becomes challenging due to emotional burden and shifting relational roles. These insights informed the formulation of design opportunities and guided a broad exploration of possible design directions.
Through a structured selection process, one concept direction was chosen for further development: the Pillow Partner. This concept consists of a pair of connected pillows that allow partners to record and listen to intimate voice messages. It aims to support autonomy by enabling control over timing and emotional exposure, and to support communication by offering an indirect and less confrontational medium for sharing sensitive thoughts.
The concept was refined through expert interviews and exploratory user interviews, which provided insights into emotional impact, usability, and contextual sensitivity. Key findings emphasized the importance of a warm, non-medical and gender-neutral design, physical comfort, and a sense of connection, while also revealing tensions between autonomy, simplicity, and relational responsibility.
Finally, implementation considerations were explored, focusing on low-threshold introduction, discretion, privacy, and the supportive role of healthcare professionals. Rather than presenting a final solution, this project offers a grounded design concept and strategic directions for further development. It demonstrates how design can meaningfully contribute to supporting communication and autonomy in intimate relationships affected by incurable illness, while acknowledging the ethical and emotional complexity of this domain. ...
Sexuality and intimacy remain important aspects of quality of life in the context of incurable cancer and palliative care, yet they are often difficult to address within healthcare practice and intimate relationships. People with incurable cancer and their partners experience changes in intimacy, communication, and relational balance, while support for these experiences is often limited or primarily medically oriented. This graduation project explores how design can sensitively support sexual well-being in palliative care.
The project was conducted as part of a broader research initiative at Erasmus Medical Center and focused on translating qualitative research insights into a concrete design concept. A combination of design research methods and qualitative healthcare research approaches, including literature review and in-depth interviews, was used to explore the problem space.
The research identified two central relational mechanisms: autonomy and communication. Partners often struggle to express personal needs without guilt, while communication about intimacy becomes challenging due to emotional burden and shifting relational roles. These insights informed the formulation of design opportunities and guided a broad exploration of possible design directions.
Through a structured selection process, one concept direction was chosen for further development: the Pillow Partner. This concept consists of a pair of connected pillows that allow partners to record and listen to intimate voice messages. It aims to support autonomy by enabling control over timing and emotional exposure, and to support communication by offering an indirect and less confrontational medium for sharing sensitive thoughts.
The concept was refined through expert interviews and exploratory user interviews, which provided insights into emotional impact, usability, and contextual sensitivity. Key findings emphasized the importance of a warm, non-medical and gender-neutral design, physical comfort, and a sense of connection, while also revealing tensions between autonomy, simplicity, and relational responsibility.
Finally, implementation considerations were explored, focusing on low-threshold introduction, discretion, privacy, and the supportive role of healthcare professionals. Rather than presenting a final solution, this project offers a grounded design concept and strategic directions for further development. It demonstrates how design can meaningfully contribute to supporting communication and autonomy in intimate relationships affected by incurable illness, while acknowledging the ethical and emotional complexity of this domain.
The project was conducted as part of a broader research initiative at Erasmus Medical Center and focused on translating qualitative research insights into a concrete design concept. A combination of design research methods and qualitative healthcare research approaches, including literature review and in-depth interviews, was used to explore the problem space.
The research identified two central relational mechanisms: autonomy and communication. Partners often struggle to express personal needs without guilt, while communication about intimacy becomes challenging due to emotional burden and shifting relational roles. These insights informed the formulation of design opportunities and guided a broad exploration of possible design directions.
Through a structured selection process, one concept direction was chosen for further development: the Pillow Partner. This concept consists of a pair of connected pillows that allow partners to record and listen to intimate voice messages. It aims to support autonomy by enabling control over timing and emotional exposure, and to support communication by offering an indirect and less confrontational medium for sharing sensitive thoughts.
The concept was refined through expert interviews and exploratory user interviews, which provided insights into emotional impact, usability, and contextual sensitivity. Key findings emphasized the importance of a warm, non-medical and gender-neutral design, physical comfort, and a sense of connection, while also revealing tensions between autonomy, simplicity, and relational responsibility.
Finally, implementation considerations were explored, focusing on low-threshold introduction, discretion, privacy, and the supportive role of healthcare professionals. Rather than presenting a final solution, this project offers a grounded design concept and strategic directions for further development. It demonstrates how design can meaningfully contribute to supporting communication and autonomy in intimate relationships affected by incurable illness, while acknowledging the ethical and emotional complexity of this domain.
As mental health challenges affect a growing number of people, the demand for mental health support continues to grow. In the Netherlands, however, the mental health referral system—intended to guide people seeking care—faces recurring breakdowns, including long waiting times and misreferrals. This study explores how AI can enable the strategic transformation of the Dutch mental health referral system through a design-led, stakeholder-engaged approach. Using a combined method involving system mapping, expert interviews, and online community analysis, the research identifies structural and experiential challenges. From these insights, three key themes were identified: ambiguity in care navigation, fragmentation in care transitions, and mismatch between care needs and system delivery. Building on these themes, the research produced a future vision and an actionable roadmap that incorporates AI design guidelines, including ethical and regulatory considerations. While a few limitations are acknowledged, this study contributes to methodology, healthcare practice, and design practice, positioning AI as an enabler of system-level transformation.
...
As mental health challenges affect a growing number of people, the demand for mental health support continues to grow. In the Netherlands, however, the mental health referral system—intended to guide people seeking care—faces recurring breakdowns, including long waiting times and misreferrals. This study explores how AI can enable the strategic transformation of the Dutch mental health referral system through a design-led, stakeholder-engaged approach. Using a combined method involving system mapping, expert interviews, and online community analysis, the research identifies structural and experiential challenges. From these insights, three key themes were identified: ambiguity in care navigation, fragmentation in care transitions, and mismatch between care needs and system delivery. Building on these themes, the research produced a future vision and an actionable roadmap that incorporates AI design guidelines, including ethical and regulatory considerations. While a few limitations are acknowledged, this study contributes to methodology, healthcare practice, and design practice, positioning AI as an enabler of system-level transformation.
Cancer is a complex disease marked by uncontrolled cell growth and has a widespread impact on individuals and society. Its incidence has been increasing globally, with a notable rise in cases in the Netherlands from 56,000 in 1989 to 118,000 in 2019. There will be approximately 232,000 new cancer diagnoses by 2032 (Source: iknl.nl).
Breast cancer, the most frequently diagnosed cancer among females worldwide, is a significant concern amid rising cancer rates (WHO, 2024). In the Netherlands, it is among the most prevalent cancers, with 15,634 cases reported in 2023 (NKR Viewer, n.d.). Despite significant advancements in diagnosis and treatment, cancer remains a severe and multifaceted challenge and impacts individuals, their families, and society as a whole. For individuals, the illness inflicts significant physical harm, manifesting as chronic pain, fatigue, loss of appetite, and other symptoms that drastically reduce quality of life. The psychological and emotional toll is equally profound, with individuals and their loved ones experiencing intense fear, anxiety, and stress (Costa et al., 2016). Following a diagnosis, individuals encounter a flood of information related to their condition, treatment options, supportive care resources, medical regimens, etc. making it overwhelming and complex. This complexity is amplified in breast cancer due to the multitude of subtypes and variants, accompanied by a wealth of information accessible online.
While healthcare providers strive to communicate information effectively through verbal and written formats for the individuals to navigate in this unfamiliar world, their time constraints and workload frequently restrict the depth of support they can offer. This results in individuals turning to gather information from diverse sources, such as online platforms, family, friends, etc. This decentralised approach is unavoidable and offers diverse views resulting in complexity, ambiguity, and confusion and leading to “information overload”. Information overload is a multi-dimensional construct and a complex phenomenon and usually occurs when the available information surpasses one’s capacity to absorb it effectively. There are several factors that cause information overload and these factors result into intertwined effects like inability to effectively process, understand and utilise the information, etc.
Given the prevalence, the focus of the study is on breast cancer in women and aims to address these challenges by supporting them in understanding the complexities of the cancer diagnosis and treatment options based on their preferred level of involvement, ultimately enabling them to make informed decisions in their care journey. The findings from this project can benefit the healthcare system as a whole, the stakeholders involved, including individuals with breast cancer, their companions, and healthcare providers, by equipping them with the support tools to navigate and understand the healthcare journey. Furthermore, it can provide the necessary information support to individuals post-diagnosis, alleviate the burden on healthcare providers and strengthen communication between providers and patients. ...
Breast cancer, the most frequently diagnosed cancer among females worldwide, is a significant concern amid rising cancer rates (WHO, 2024). In the Netherlands, it is among the most prevalent cancers, with 15,634 cases reported in 2023 (NKR Viewer, n.d.). Despite significant advancements in diagnosis and treatment, cancer remains a severe and multifaceted challenge and impacts individuals, their families, and society as a whole. For individuals, the illness inflicts significant physical harm, manifesting as chronic pain, fatigue, loss of appetite, and other symptoms that drastically reduce quality of life. The psychological and emotional toll is equally profound, with individuals and their loved ones experiencing intense fear, anxiety, and stress (Costa et al., 2016). Following a diagnosis, individuals encounter a flood of information related to their condition, treatment options, supportive care resources, medical regimens, etc. making it overwhelming and complex. This complexity is amplified in breast cancer due to the multitude of subtypes and variants, accompanied by a wealth of information accessible online.
While healthcare providers strive to communicate information effectively through verbal and written formats for the individuals to navigate in this unfamiliar world, their time constraints and workload frequently restrict the depth of support they can offer. This results in individuals turning to gather information from diverse sources, such as online platforms, family, friends, etc. This decentralised approach is unavoidable and offers diverse views resulting in complexity, ambiguity, and confusion and leading to “information overload”. Information overload is a multi-dimensional construct and a complex phenomenon and usually occurs when the available information surpasses one’s capacity to absorb it effectively. There are several factors that cause information overload and these factors result into intertwined effects like inability to effectively process, understand and utilise the information, etc.
Given the prevalence, the focus of the study is on breast cancer in women and aims to address these challenges by supporting them in understanding the complexities of the cancer diagnosis and treatment options based on their preferred level of involvement, ultimately enabling them to make informed decisions in their care journey. The findings from this project can benefit the healthcare system as a whole, the stakeholders involved, including individuals with breast cancer, their companions, and healthcare providers, by equipping them with the support tools to navigate and understand the healthcare journey. Furthermore, it can provide the necessary information support to individuals post-diagnosis, alleviate the burden on healthcare providers and strengthen communication between providers and patients. ...
Cancer is a complex disease marked by uncontrolled cell growth and has a widespread impact on individuals and society. Its incidence has been increasing globally, with a notable rise in cases in the Netherlands from 56,000 in 1989 to 118,000 in 2019. There will be approximately 232,000 new cancer diagnoses by 2032 (Source: iknl.nl).
Breast cancer, the most frequently diagnosed cancer among females worldwide, is a significant concern amid rising cancer rates (WHO, 2024). In the Netherlands, it is among the most prevalent cancers, with 15,634 cases reported in 2023 (NKR Viewer, n.d.). Despite significant advancements in diagnosis and treatment, cancer remains a severe and multifaceted challenge and impacts individuals, their families, and society as a whole. For individuals, the illness inflicts significant physical harm, manifesting as chronic pain, fatigue, loss of appetite, and other symptoms that drastically reduce quality of life. The psychological and emotional toll is equally profound, with individuals and their loved ones experiencing intense fear, anxiety, and stress (Costa et al., 2016). Following a diagnosis, individuals encounter a flood of information related to their condition, treatment options, supportive care resources, medical regimens, etc. making it overwhelming and complex. This complexity is amplified in breast cancer due to the multitude of subtypes and variants, accompanied by a wealth of information accessible online.
While healthcare providers strive to communicate information effectively through verbal and written formats for the individuals to navigate in this unfamiliar world, their time constraints and workload frequently restrict the depth of support they can offer. This results in individuals turning to gather information from diverse sources, such as online platforms, family, friends, etc. This decentralised approach is unavoidable and offers diverse views resulting in complexity, ambiguity, and confusion and leading to “information overload”. Information overload is a multi-dimensional construct and a complex phenomenon and usually occurs when the available information surpasses one’s capacity to absorb it effectively. There are several factors that cause information overload and these factors result into intertwined effects like inability to effectively process, understand and utilise the information, etc.
Given the prevalence, the focus of the study is on breast cancer in women and aims to address these challenges by supporting them in understanding the complexities of the cancer diagnosis and treatment options based on their preferred level of involvement, ultimately enabling them to make informed decisions in their care journey. The findings from this project can benefit the healthcare system as a whole, the stakeholders involved, including individuals with breast cancer, their companions, and healthcare providers, by equipping them with the support tools to navigate and understand the healthcare journey. Furthermore, it can provide the necessary information support to individuals post-diagnosis, alleviate the burden on healthcare providers and strengthen communication between providers and patients.
Breast cancer, the most frequently diagnosed cancer among females worldwide, is a significant concern amid rising cancer rates (WHO, 2024). In the Netherlands, it is among the most prevalent cancers, with 15,634 cases reported in 2023 (NKR Viewer, n.d.). Despite significant advancements in diagnosis and treatment, cancer remains a severe and multifaceted challenge and impacts individuals, their families, and society as a whole. For individuals, the illness inflicts significant physical harm, manifesting as chronic pain, fatigue, loss of appetite, and other symptoms that drastically reduce quality of life. The psychological and emotional toll is equally profound, with individuals and their loved ones experiencing intense fear, anxiety, and stress (Costa et al., 2016). Following a diagnosis, individuals encounter a flood of information related to their condition, treatment options, supportive care resources, medical regimens, etc. making it overwhelming and complex. This complexity is amplified in breast cancer due to the multitude of subtypes and variants, accompanied by a wealth of information accessible online.
While healthcare providers strive to communicate information effectively through verbal and written formats for the individuals to navigate in this unfamiliar world, their time constraints and workload frequently restrict the depth of support they can offer. This results in individuals turning to gather information from diverse sources, such as online platforms, family, friends, etc. This decentralised approach is unavoidable and offers diverse views resulting in complexity, ambiguity, and confusion and leading to “information overload”. Information overload is a multi-dimensional construct and a complex phenomenon and usually occurs when the available information surpasses one’s capacity to absorb it effectively. There are several factors that cause information overload and these factors result into intertwined effects like inability to effectively process, understand and utilise the information, etc.
Given the prevalence, the focus of the study is on breast cancer in women and aims to address these challenges by supporting them in understanding the complexities of the cancer diagnosis and treatment options based on their preferred level of involvement, ultimately enabling them to make informed decisions in their care journey. The findings from this project can benefit the healthcare system as a whole, the stakeholders involved, including individuals with breast cancer, their companions, and healthcare providers, by equipping them with the support tools to navigate and understand the healthcare journey. Furthermore, it can provide the necessary information support to individuals post-diagnosis, alleviate the burden on healthcare providers and strengthen communication between providers and patients.
Towards Coherent and Effective Self-Management during the Post-Diagnosis Stage
Vomo: An application empowering individuals with Pulmonary Fibrosis
Pulmonary Fibrosis (PF) is a rare and incurable interstitial lung disease, which causes lung scarring, leading to an irreversible decline in patients’ lung function and breathing difficulties. In Europe, Pulmonary fibrosis (PF) affects over 400,000 people, and it claims the lives of about 100,000 people each year (EU-IPFF, 2023). In light of the prevailing medical personnel deficit and the stress on healthcare systems, a collaborative synergy between healthcare practitioners and patients becomes indispensable to facilitate the transition of healthcare services from hospital settings to domiciliary environments and to tailor individualized home care.
This endeavor is spearheaded by Erasmus MC, a preeminent specialist center for PF in the Netherlands. In collaboration with the Convergence program and TU Delft, this initiative embarks on exploring the PF patient journey map while develop innovative design solutions. These solutions are aimed at empowering patients to engage in self-management and to enhance their Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQoL).
The overarching methodology of this project adheres to the Enhanced Data-enabled Design (EDED) approach by Jung (2023), which leverages data collected within the community, user, and design contexts and adopts an iterative design process. Firstly, getting inspired by the online patient community data which contains more than 40,000 of patient stories, the initial problem areas that patients have most struggles are defined.
Subsequently, the insights gained in the community context are further examined in the user context. First, the preliminary patient journey map was validated and refined, and the initial problem areas were scoped down through co-creation and interviews with Healthcare Professionals (HP). Secondly, a user behavior study was conducted to uncover PF patients needs in their self-management process by reusing community data and leveraging the Information-Motivation-Behavioral Skills framework. The result of this study addresses the problem of this project, as the primary needs of PF patients to achieve effective and coherent self-management behavior are to acquire information related to five main aspects:
- Understanding and management of medication;
- Understanding and management of oxygen therapy
- Understanding Treatment and medication options
- Lifestyle adjusting to adapt to changes in life
- Symptom monitoring and management
Therefore, the final design goal of this project is defined as: “ How to provide PF patients with required, reliable, and understandable information to support their self-management behavior in their post-diagnosis stage.”
Accordingly, the user needs in information and the design goal collectively establish the foundation design concept: Vomo, a Product-service systems (PSS) to facilitate PF patient self-management in the post-diagnosis stage. The delivery of Vomo is facilitated through an application that is accessible to its end users. The present PSS has undergone a redesign process, drawing inspiration from the preexisting framework of a PSS known as Erasmus MC's IPF-Online. This project presents a comprehensive analysis of the rationale for the redesign of certain functions and proposes strategies for the future implementation of these revised functions inside the existing product. ...
This endeavor is spearheaded by Erasmus MC, a preeminent specialist center for PF in the Netherlands. In collaboration with the Convergence program and TU Delft, this initiative embarks on exploring the PF patient journey map while develop innovative design solutions. These solutions are aimed at empowering patients to engage in self-management and to enhance their Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQoL).
The overarching methodology of this project adheres to the Enhanced Data-enabled Design (EDED) approach by Jung (2023), which leverages data collected within the community, user, and design contexts and adopts an iterative design process. Firstly, getting inspired by the online patient community data which contains more than 40,000 of patient stories, the initial problem areas that patients have most struggles are defined.
Subsequently, the insights gained in the community context are further examined in the user context. First, the preliminary patient journey map was validated and refined, and the initial problem areas were scoped down through co-creation and interviews with Healthcare Professionals (HP). Secondly, a user behavior study was conducted to uncover PF patients needs in their self-management process by reusing community data and leveraging the Information-Motivation-Behavioral Skills framework. The result of this study addresses the problem of this project, as the primary needs of PF patients to achieve effective and coherent self-management behavior are to acquire information related to five main aspects:
- Understanding and management of medication;
- Understanding and management of oxygen therapy
- Understanding Treatment and medication options
- Lifestyle adjusting to adapt to changes in life
- Symptom monitoring and management
Therefore, the final design goal of this project is defined as: “ How to provide PF patients with required, reliable, and understandable information to support their self-management behavior in their post-diagnosis stage.”
Accordingly, the user needs in information and the design goal collectively establish the foundation design concept: Vomo, a Product-service systems (PSS) to facilitate PF patient self-management in the post-diagnosis stage. The delivery of Vomo is facilitated through an application that is accessible to its end users. The present PSS has undergone a redesign process, drawing inspiration from the preexisting framework of a PSS known as Erasmus MC's IPF-Online. This project presents a comprehensive analysis of the rationale for the redesign of certain functions and proposes strategies for the future implementation of these revised functions inside the existing product. ...
Pulmonary Fibrosis (PF) is a rare and incurable interstitial lung disease, which causes lung scarring, leading to an irreversible decline in patients’ lung function and breathing difficulties. In Europe, Pulmonary fibrosis (PF) affects over 400,000 people, and it claims the lives of about 100,000 people each year (EU-IPFF, 2023). In light of the prevailing medical personnel deficit and the stress on healthcare systems, a collaborative synergy between healthcare practitioners and patients becomes indispensable to facilitate the transition of healthcare services from hospital settings to domiciliary environments and to tailor individualized home care.
This endeavor is spearheaded by Erasmus MC, a preeminent specialist center for PF in the Netherlands. In collaboration with the Convergence program and TU Delft, this initiative embarks on exploring the PF patient journey map while develop innovative design solutions. These solutions are aimed at empowering patients to engage in self-management and to enhance their Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQoL).
The overarching methodology of this project adheres to the Enhanced Data-enabled Design (EDED) approach by Jung (2023), which leverages data collected within the community, user, and design contexts and adopts an iterative design process. Firstly, getting inspired by the online patient community data which contains more than 40,000 of patient stories, the initial problem areas that patients have most struggles are defined.
Subsequently, the insights gained in the community context are further examined in the user context. First, the preliminary patient journey map was validated and refined, and the initial problem areas were scoped down through co-creation and interviews with Healthcare Professionals (HP). Secondly, a user behavior study was conducted to uncover PF patients needs in their self-management process by reusing community data and leveraging the Information-Motivation-Behavioral Skills framework. The result of this study addresses the problem of this project, as the primary needs of PF patients to achieve effective and coherent self-management behavior are to acquire information related to five main aspects:
- Understanding and management of medication;
- Understanding and management of oxygen therapy
- Understanding Treatment and medication options
- Lifestyle adjusting to adapt to changes in life
- Symptom monitoring and management
Therefore, the final design goal of this project is defined as: “ How to provide PF patients with required, reliable, and understandable information to support their self-management behavior in their post-diagnosis stage.”
Accordingly, the user needs in information and the design goal collectively establish the foundation design concept: Vomo, a Product-service systems (PSS) to facilitate PF patient self-management in the post-diagnosis stage. The delivery of Vomo is facilitated through an application that is accessible to its end users. The present PSS has undergone a redesign process, drawing inspiration from the preexisting framework of a PSS known as Erasmus MC's IPF-Online. This project presents a comprehensive analysis of the rationale for the redesign of certain functions and proposes strategies for the future implementation of these revised functions inside the existing product.
This endeavor is spearheaded by Erasmus MC, a preeminent specialist center for PF in the Netherlands. In collaboration with the Convergence program and TU Delft, this initiative embarks on exploring the PF patient journey map while develop innovative design solutions. These solutions are aimed at empowering patients to engage in self-management and to enhance their Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQoL).
The overarching methodology of this project adheres to the Enhanced Data-enabled Design (EDED) approach by Jung (2023), which leverages data collected within the community, user, and design contexts and adopts an iterative design process. Firstly, getting inspired by the online patient community data which contains more than 40,000 of patient stories, the initial problem areas that patients have most struggles are defined.
Subsequently, the insights gained in the community context are further examined in the user context. First, the preliminary patient journey map was validated and refined, and the initial problem areas were scoped down through co-creation and interviews with Healthcare Professionals (HP). Secondly, a user behavior study was conducted to uncover PF patients needs in their self-management process by reusing community data and leveraging the Information-Motivation-Behavioral Skills framework. The result of this study addresses the problem of this project, as the primary needs of PF patients to achieve effective and coherent self-management behavior are to acquire information related to five main aspects:
- Understanding and management of medication;
- Understanding and management of oxygen therapy
- Understanding Treatment and medication options
- Lifestyle adjusting to adapt to changes in life
- Symptom monitoring and management
Therefore, the final design goal of this project is defined as: “ How to provide PF patients with required, reliable, and understandable information to support their self-management behavior in their post-diagnosis stage.”
Accordingly, the user needs in information and the design goal collectively establish the foundation design concept: Vomo, a Product-service systems (PSS) to facilitate PF patient self-management in the post-diagnosis stage. The delivery of Vomo is facilitated through an application that is accessible to its end users. The present PSS has undergone a redesign process, drawing inspiration from the preexisting framework of a PSS known as Erasmus MC's IPF-Online. This project presents a comprehensive analysis of the rationale for the redesign of certain functions and proposes strategies for the future implementation of these revised functions inside the existing product.