Dr Fiona O'Neill, University of Leeds
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Involving patients and carers in the design, development and evaluation of new healthcare technologies is essential. However, accessing this experiential knowledge and expertise often presents challenges. There is an acknowledged need to develop more effective practices that enable patients, health professionals and industry to work together in finding innovative and workable solutions that support independent living and improved quality of daily living.

This project is exploring the use of digital story telling as an approach that may support more effective involvement and co-production between service users, health care providers and industry. Digital stories are short multi-media presentations combining voice, still images and often music to convey a personal story in a powerful and succinct manner. The stories provide a way of conveying experiences to a wider audience in ways that can illuminate issues and support much deeper understanding between people.

The project is working in partnership with Arthritis Care. Arthritis is a leading cause of disability and long term illness in the UK. Technology and good design can make a significant difference to patients and their carers and the project will provide an opportunity to reach greater understanding of how the expertise and experiences of patients and carers can become a more central part of innovation.

We are also working with Pilgrim Projects, national leaders in the application of digital story in health care.