Eng
Eng
Medtronic
Seido Systems
Groene Hart Ziekenhuis
Patient Association for Neuromodulation (PVVN)
–
Technologists
Joost Plattel
Kees Plattel
–
Sound Designer
Daan Kandelaars
“The conversations with the nurse were all very technical, focusing on the device’s functioning. But never did they address: ‘What will it be like to live with this technology in your body?’ This project does exactly that. It gives a comforting voice to something I’ll carry with me for life, making it more humane.”
Patient (46 years old)
“The conversations with the nurse were all very technical, focusing on the device’s functioning. But never did they address: ‘What will it be like to live with this technology in your body?’ This project does exactly that. It gives a comforting voice to something I’ll carry with me for life, making it more humane.”
Patient (46 years old)
Sacral neuromodulation therapy (SNM) uses an implanted neurostimulator to restore bladder and bowel coordination. While this therapy has significantly improved the lives of many, research indicates that over half of the patients initially resist the idea of living with an implant. Consequently, some individuals postpone or decline treatment, choosing to continue struggling with issues that affect their daily lives. In extreme cases, this resistance limits their freedom to the point where they no longer dare to leave their homes.
We believe that reducing the initial barrier of resistance will enhance the acceptance of receiving an implant, thereby assisting individuals in managing their health issues. In conversations with experts, doctors and nurses it became clear that this applies not only to SNM therapy but also more broadly to individuals who can benefit from implants.
Building on the results of the Intimate Implant project, we’ve designed an interactive and tactile experience where the implant introduces itself to the patient, addresses concerns, and provides comfort. Doctors and nurses, after experiencing the work themselves, acknowledged that the themes touched upon in the narrative are often neglected in their technically-oriented conversations with patients.
The Meet Your Implant project is currently being implemented at Groene Hart Hospital in Gouda to assist patients who are anxious about implant treatments. Next, the project is scheduled to expand to other hospitals across Europe, including those in the Netherlands, Great Britain, and Germany.
Photography in hospital: Jasper Zijlstra
Photography close-up: Storm Wilschut
Sacral neuromodulation therapy (SNM) uses an implanted neurostimulator to restore bladder and bowel coordination. While this therapy has significantly improved the lives of many, research indicates that over half of the patients initially resist the idea of living with an implant. Consequently, some individuals postpone or decline treatment, choosing to continue struggling with issues that affect their daily lives. In extreme cases, this resistance limits their freedom to the point where they no longer dare to leave their homes.
We believe that reducing the initial barrier of resistance will enhance the acceptance of receiving an implant, thereby assisting individuals in managing their health issues. In conversations with experts, doctors and nurses it became clear that this applies not only to SNM therapy but also more broadly to individuals who can benefit from implants.
Building on the results of the Intimate Implant project, we’ve designed an interactive and tactile experience where the implant introduces itself to the patient, addresses concerns, and provides comfort. Doctors and nurses, after experiencing the work themselves, acknowledged that the themes touched upon in the narrative are often neglected in their technically-oriented conversations with patients.
The Meet Your Implant project is currently being implemented at Groene Hart Hospital in Gouda to assist patients who are anxious about implant treatments. Next, the project is scheduled to expand to other hospitals across Europe, including those in the Netherlands, Great Britain, and Germany.
Photography in hospital: Jasper Zijlstra
Photography close-up: Storm Wilschut
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© 2024 Symbiose All Rights Reserved.
