Abstract

Background: The rigorous elicitation of user needs is a crucial step for both medical device design and purchasing.
However, user needs elicitation is often based on qualitative methods whose findings can be difficult to integrate
into medical decision-making. This paper describes the application of AHP to elicit user needs for a new CT scanner
for use in a public hospital.

Methods: AHP was used to design a hierarchy of 12 needs for a new CT scanner, grouped into 4 homogenous
categories, and to prepare a paper questionnaire to investigate the relative priorities of these. The questionnaire
was completed by 5 senior clinicians working in a variety of clinical specialisations and departments in the same
Italian public hospital.

Results: Although safety and performance were considered the most important issues, user needs changed
according to clinical scenario. For elective surgery, the five most important needs were: spatial resolution,
processing software, radiation dose, patient monitoring, and contrast medium. For emergency, the top five most
important needs were: patient monitoring, radiation dose, contrast medium control, speed run, spatial resolution.

Conclusions: AHP effectively supported user need elicitation, helping to develop an analytic and intelligible
framework of decision-making. User needs varied according to working scenario (elective versus emergency
medicine) more than clinical specialization. This method should be considered by practitioners involved in
decisions about new medical technology, whether that be during device design or before deciding whether to
allocate budgets for new medical devices according to clinical functions or according to hospital department.

Leandro Pecchia, Jennifer L Martin, Angela Ragozzino, Carmela Vanzanella, Arturo Scognamiglio,
Luciano Mirarchi and Stephen P Morgan