Naerum, DK March 7 - Ida Institute convened a special focus group of pediatric hearing care professionals to explore application of the Institute-developed clinical tools for pediatric patients and their families. The two-day innovation session, held at Ida Institute in Copenhagen, involved 12 participants comprised of members of the Institute's online Pediatric Forum and selected experts in the field of pediatric audiology.
"We adapted Ida Institute's collaborative approach to the focus group format to enable participants to consider the benefits and usage of existing Ida tools for pediatric patients and, at the same time, to give them the freedom to innovate where new opportunities emerged," said Institute Director Lise Lotte Bundesen. "In the end, the group developed several new concepts for tools that were uniquely tailored to the needs of younger patients that we will continue develop with the goal of adding a new series of pediatric tools to the Ida Tool Box."
The focus group session was led by Ida Institute cultural anthropologist Kirsten Lauritsen and innovation specialist/designer Villads Keiding. The collaboration process involved an understanding and exploring phase in which the group reached agreement that adapting the existing Ida tools for pediatric patients would not be sufficient to address the unique conditions of the clinical encounter for pediatric patients. Working through the second phase - transforming and expressing - the group evolved several original tool concepts including one designed to engage pediatric patients and give them a sense of control in the clinical encounter. Ida Institute staff will continue to collaborate with the Pediatric Forum participants to build and refine the concepts into practical tools for clinic use.
"The innovation focus group has proven so successful, we are exploring opportunities to create focus groups with other Institute forum groups and members of the My Ida," said Bundesen.
About the Ida Institute
Established in 2007 with a grant from the Oticon Foundation, the Ida Institute is as a non-profit independent educational institute located in Copenhagen, Denmark. The Institute seeks to foster a better understanding of the human dynamics of hearing loss from its recognition to its resolution - the patient journey. By serving as a catalyst for knowledge sharing and the development of innovative and practical tools, the Institute assists hearing care professionals in helping hearing impaired people address the physical, psychological and social challenges of hearing loss. For more information, visit www.idainstitute.com.
