Difference between revisions of "Team:INSA-Lyon/Integrated Practices"

Our human practices reflexion is based on the interactions between the conception of our device and the society. How can our work be integrated in the prevention for STIs? The goal was to conduct a rigorous reflexion on the project. First we used the knowledge acquired during meetings and surveys we carried to build an ethical matrix.
The help provided by our human sciences instructors was very valuable as they guided us through interesting ways of thinking.

Once the matrix was established, on one hand, we confronted it with the results of the survey in the matrix synthesis.
On the other hands, it was used as an instrument to have a human overview of the project to take a needed step back as everyone was focused on its parts. An ethical matrix was a useful framework to assist us in our deliberation about technical choices but also social choices.

The matrix synthesis has been realized to have a humanist point of view integrated into our project. In this perspective, we used the approach of the ethic of care (Joan Tronto, Moral boundaries: a political argument for ethic of care, 1993) to interpret our results.
We identified 4 statements innovation, perception, risk, responsibility to improve our project according to two phases of the ethic of care.

CARING ABOUT

The innovation deals with the human consequences of our technology.
Early detection, short time for results, low cost impacts the use of the diagnosis. The early detection allows to improve the care about the patient, thus the treatment can be began very early. The short time for results is compatible with mobile prevention campaign and emergency situation. Low cost is for better test diffusion and increase the user population. All those decisions are made to develop an attractive test that answer to the technical expectations of the medical professional.

The perception of the test by the user was also analyzed to establish the preliminary basis of acceptability issues. The human relationship of the user during the test realization and the management of intimity were our main reflexions axis.

TAKING CARE OF

The integration of the risks was also necessary. We identified 3 major risks. The contamination risk implies to use safe biological materials. The reliability deals with false positive and false negative. It is a technical issue that is related to our technology. The goal is to reduce them as much as possible. The use decay risk introduced by the user.

From the risk principle results the concept of responsibility. Accompaniment is good way to reduce those risks, being supervised by the medical staff can be very reassuring during the test execution. The announcement of the results question also the presence of a member of the medical staff according to the serious consequences of some STIs. The easy access and the simplicity of use are necessary to guarantee an equal right to get diagnosed.
Nowaday the responsibility is not restricted to the user it has also to respect the environment. That’s what motivated our technical choices for the device.

The matrix was also intended to be a decision helper tool. It has been very useful when taking important decision (eg changing the revelation system).
Matching technical solutions to ethical values (accessibility, respect of the user, biosafety) can be really complex but stimulating!

Decisions taken thanks to the matrix

Sample choices: blood for a non invasive test and easily standardized sample
Materials choices: paper, biosourced plastic…for an eco friendly cycle of life
Early-detection: RT instead of the p24 to detect the early stage infection
Reliability: a system that minimize the false negative risk by using to epitopes instead of one
Usability: redaction of a usernote to improve the user experience.
Biosafety: latex beads instead of RT proteins or HbSAg as bio-safe migration witness

This work can serve as an inspiring example to others IGEM 2016 teams: Stanford-Brown and Michigan. We could organize an ethical debate about our technology. Our work on ethical matrix is documented but there is still a lot of questions (write in red in the matrix). With others, we can build upon to answer to doubt.
We were able to come up with a device that combines the expertise of physicians specializing in STIs, potential patients’ expectations, curiosity and foresight of young engineering students. So this device can be usable and useful.