Abstract

When a Cystic Fibrosis (CF) patient/carer meets a doctor, it is the responsibility of the patient/carer to recall their medical history. Often the information imparted by the patient/carer is inaccurate due to their inability to remember their medical history accurately. Coupled with this, patients/carers often leave medical encounters unable to remember the information that has been imparted to them. These memory issues can seriously impede the doctor’s ability to correctly diagnose and treat a CF patient and the patient’s ability to adhere to the doctors’ recommendations. This paper explores: “The Memory Recall of mild to moderate Cystic Fibrosis(CF) patients/carers in routine doctor’s appointments and the impacts a simple artefact can have on memory recall, stress and empowerment”. Using Design Science Research, the artefact designed, built and evaluated to address the problem is a pretotype (a paper-based prototype) in the form of a Check List. Rigorous evaluation by CF patients, carers and respiratory clinicians’ points to the artefact’s validity and shows its contribution to memory recall, a reduction in stress, and an increase in empowerment for both CF patients and carers. The insights gained from this research will be an essential precursor to the creation of an effective digital solution.

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