AUTHOR=Jacinto Maria João , Oliveira Pedro , Canhão Helena 

TITLE=Innovations Developed by Patients and Informal Caregivers for Needs Associated to Rheumatic Diseases

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Medicine

VOLUME=Volume 8 - 2021

YEAR=2021

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/medicine/articles/10.3389/fmed.2021.647388

DOI=10.3389/fmed.2021.647388

ISSN=2296-858X

ABSTRACT=Until recently, innovation in healthcare was mainly faced through the development of new drugs, therapies and medical devices by big pharma and medtech companies; however, the innovative potential is much broader. The patients and caregivers’ role in healthcare is often associated with disease management, demand for their own illness data, and its exchange with other patients. However, the patients and caregivers’ capacity to innovate to cope with limitations associated with their health condition is a growing phenomenon and starting to be supported by healthcare stakeholders to achieve a truly patient-centric system. Our previous research has shown that these uncommon innovators can develop a wide range of solutions, from simple adaptations and products to highly technological biomedical devices.
In this paper, it is presented novel solutions developed by rheumatic patients, their caregivers and collaborators, published on ‘Patient Innovation’ platform (https://patient-innovation.com/), with focus on the innovator profile, the need that triggers the innovative process, the type of motivation behind, and the products developed. The most significant needs that motivate to innovate are the will to increase the level of independence (71%) and to be able to perform a daily routine activity (65%). In over 80% of the cases, the fact that the market does not fully fulfill the needs felt during daily activities is the main motivation to do it. It is thus concluded that there is room for rheumatic diseases innovation with solutions developed by patients and informal caregivers that intend to solve needs that the healthcare market is not covering.