Abstract
Understanding user needs is essential to design biomedical devices that are efficacious in real life (clinically effective). Few studies propose analytic quantitative methods to elicit user needs. This paper presents a preliminary application of the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) to elicit user needs. As a case study we focused on the use of a biomedical device for auto-injection of epinephrine to treat severe allergic reactions. Although the study presented is on-going, the methods we describe provide valuable insights into how quantitative methods can be applied to user needs elicitation.

Leandro Pecchia, Jennifer L Martin, Arthur G. Money, Julie Barnet