The use of new technologies always has far-reaching consequences for those people who are working with it, using it, or who are otherwise affected by it. The development, i.e. the design, construction, and testing of new technical tools, must accordingly be sensitive to the various social aspects of a given application – but which aspects must be taken into account, and who decides this?
For a long time, this decision rested solely with those who developed a technology, with the result that it was often not adapted to the actual needs of the users or even had harmful effects and did the opposite of what it was actually intended to do. A so-called needs analysis therefore now precedes most developed technologies and should shed light on what needs actually exist on the part of the users. This is one of the first stages of participation, as an attempt is made to document the perspective of the users and to develop a technology on the basis of this. However, this also poses a problem that has become more prominent in recent years, because a needs analysis is only a snapshot in time and the users are not really involved in the development process.
The MIA-PROM project, therefore, follows a more participatory approach by meeting central questions of the design of the assistance system, but also questions of the PROM issues to be raised and the evaluation of the system in a close exchange with a so-called patient advisory board. On March 30, 2023, the six-member advisory board – consisting of patients, but also employees from the medical field – met for the first time in Berlin to get to know each other. Together, we examined the individual skills, interests, and previous experience of each member, reviewed the basic ideas of the project, and discussed how the advisory board should be involved in the project. An informal discussion during a joint dinner rounded off the meeting, and we look forward to working together on developing the assistance system!