Chapter 21 Participatory Insight to Universal Access: Methods and Validation Exercises

Abstract

Participatory methods can, in principle, be applied for a variety of purposes to gain insight into the context of use of an artefact or the way in which tasks are performed by end users. Consequently, participatory methods are equally valid for problem identification, clarification of the issues relevant to a particular topic, but also for the detailed evaluation of devices, products and interfaces. Typically, participatory methods facilitate rich empirical data sets useful for design teams and evaluators. In our case, participatory methods have been used to facilitate access to medical data by patients at home. To this end, a variety of participatory approaches are available, the more important ones being: questionnaires, face-to-face or telephone interviews based on a formal questionnaire or on an interview guide, user trials, task analysis and group discussions such as brainstorming sessions or focus group meetings.