The medication mismanagement system : causes, evidence of user innovation, and a view towards a product/service solution for the elderly

Thesis (S.M. in Management and Engineering)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Engineering Systems Division, System Design and Management Program, 2010.

Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Hanson, Joshua A. (Joshua Alan)
Other Authors: Eric A. von Hippel.
Format: Thesis
Language:eng
Published: Massachusetts Institute of Technology 2011
Subjects:
Online Access:http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/62767
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author Hanson, Joshua A. (Joshua Alan)
author2 Eric A. von Hippel.
author_facet Eric A. von Hippel.
Hanson, Joshua A. (Joshua Alan)
author_sort Hanson, Joshua A. (Joshua Alan)
collection MIT
description Thesis (S.M. in Management and Engineering)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Engineering Systems Division, System Design and Management Program, 2010.
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spelling mit-1721.1/627672019-04-10T14:27:15Z The medication mismanagement system : causes, evidence of user innovation, and a view towards a product/service solution for the elderly Hanson, Joshua A. (Joshua Alan) Eric A. von Hippel. Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Engineering Systems Division. Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Engineering Systems Division. System Design and Management Program. Engineering Systems Division. Thesis (S.M. in Management and Engineering)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Engineering Systems Division, System Design and Management Program, 2010. Cataloged from PDF version of thesis. Includes bibliographical references (p. 77-78). Introduction: What could be easier than taking a pill? The doctor prescribes it, the pharmacist provides it and the patient swallows it with a glass of water twice a day for a cure; a very straightforward system of cause and effect. Unfortunately, statistics show that 66% of all Americans fail to take any of their prescription medicines (American Heart Association, 2009) and as a result many of the medical innovations that have increased life expectancy by 47 years since 1900 (Wan He, 2005) remain left unclaimed. So why than do Seniors, facing the pain of arthritis or the impending certainty of death from congestive heart failure, refuse to take their pills? The first half of this thesis seeks an answer to this question while debunking the view that this is a simple problem of ignorance or laziness on the part of the patient. In place of this oversimplified view, the problem of "medication management" is defined and cast in an in-depth and nuanced way that includes issues involving the patient, their caregiver, the disease state, social circumstances and financial constraints. The second half of this thesis focuses on possible solutions. While rethinking the entire medication system can result in great gains, the innovations discussed (both lead user and off-the-shelf innovations) all work within the current medication system and are addressable by product/service designers. By adhering to these two constraints the resulting solutions remain quickly implementable, cost effective and relevant to industry. In the end we find that end users have created a series of innovations and product modifications that address the physical and cognitive barriers they face, while product manufactures are innovating products and services that address the motivational issues users face. by Joshua A. Hanson. S.M.in Management and Engineering 2011-05-09T15:32:30Z 2011-05-09T15:32:30Z 2010 2010 Thesis http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/62767 718739201 eng M.I.T. theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from this source for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without written permission. See provided URL for inquiries about permission. http://dspace.mit.edu/handle/1721.1/7582 78 p. application/pdf Massachusetts Institute of Technology
spellingShingle Engineering Systems Division.
Hanson, Joshua A. (Joshua Alan)
The medication mismanagement system : causes, evidence of user innovation, and a view towards a product/service solution for the elderly
title The medication mismanagement system : causes, evidence of user innovation, and a view towards a product/service solution for the elderly
title_full The medication mismanagement system : causes, evidence of user innovation, and a view towards a product/service solution for the elderly
title_fullStr The medication mismanagement system : causes, evidence of user innovation, and a view towards a product/service solution for the elderly
title_full_unstemmed The medication mismanagement system : causes, evidence of user innovation, and a view towards a product/service solution for the elderly
title_short The medication mismanagement system : causes, evidence of user innovation, and a view towards a product/service solution for the elderly
title_sort medication mismanagement system causes evidence of user innovation and a view towards a product service solution for the elderly
topic Engineering Systems Division.
url http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/62767
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