Drawing on Accounts of Long-Term Urinary Catheter Use: Design for the “Seemingly Mundane”

The design of the Foley catheter has not changed since 1937. Scientists interested in medical technology tend to focus on state-of-the-art designs for newsworthy specialties rather than the more mundane technologies of daily life. We interviewed 36 people living with a long-term urinary catheter in...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Qualitative health research 2016-01, Vol.26 (2), p.154-163
Main Authors: Chapple, Alison, Prinjha, Suman, Feneley, Roger, Ziebland, Sue
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Activities of daily living
Adult
Aged
Aged, 80 and over
Anti-Bacterial Agents - therapeutic use
Catheterization
Catheters
Female
Health problems
Humans
Interviews as Topic
Long Term Adverse Effects - drug therapy
Long Term Adverse Effects - psychology
Male
Medical research
Medical technology
Middle Aged
Perceptions
Quality of Life - psychology
Self Concept
Social life & customs
Technology
United Kingdom
United States
Urinary Catheterization - adverse effects
Urinary Catheterization - psychology
Urinary Catheters - adverse effects
Urine
Young Adult
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Description
Summary:The design of the Foley catheter has not changed since 1937. Scientists interested in medical technology tend to focus on state-of-the-art designs for newsworthy specialties rather than the more mundane technologies of daily life. We interviewed 36 people living with a long-term urinary catheter in the United Kingdom, who described limitations of the current catheter design, including infections and complications and consequences for social life and relationships, and their perceptions of whose responsibility it was to improve the design. All took steps to hide the urine bag, but the need to use a catheter and urine bag had, for some, a very detrimental effect on social life and relationships. People living with long-term catheters are relatively isolated at home and dealing with many different underlying health problems, undermining opportunities to speak with a collective patient voice. Qualitative health researchers could act as a conduit to help stimulate new designs.
ISSN:1049-7323
1552-7557
DOI:10.1177/1049732315570135