Publication

A biodesign process – Identifying an unmet need in the recurrence of aspiration pneumonia in people with late-stage Parkinson’s disease

Donegan, Breege
Citation
Abstract
This thesis discusses some of the challenges of recurring aspiration pneumonias in people with conditions like late-stage Parkinson’s disease and Motor Neuron Disease. A description of the experience of needs-finding in the clinical area of Respiratory & Anaesthesia during clinical immersion, filtering, needs refinement, market analysis, and solution ideation during the BioInnovate program is presented. A thorough literature review revealed that aspiration pneumonia is the leading cause of death for people with Parkinson’s disease, and stakeholders want a solution. Some suggestions for the future work and challenges of this project are discusses further. While this thesis contributes to the understanding of unmet needs in the recurrence of aspiration pneumonias, it also highlights the value of using the Biodesign process in addressing these unmet clinical needs. The Identify, Invent, Implement stages of the Biodesign process are discussed throughout this thesis, regarding the innovative potential solution direction.
Funder
Publisher
University of Galway
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Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International