Human Practices
Understanding Iron-Deficiency
Putting the Data in Perspective
Iron-deficiency affects millions of people worldwide. Here are some key statistics:
⦾ Prevalence: Approximately 25% of the global population suffers from iron-deficiency.
⦾ Symptoms: Fatigue, weakness, pale skin, and more.
⦾ Age Groups: Children, pregnant women, and older adults are most at risk.
Graph from our survey
Quotes from our Participants:
"As a runner, I know iron is something I should be aware of but due to the inconvenience of being able to consistently track it, this is why I do not monitor it."
"Without the proper methods of monitoring my iron, the deficiency can cause problems to my daily life and my future. If I would monitor, I can help reduce any effects that may be the cause and help me start my day with more motivation and healthier than ever.."
The Problem
According to 2022 reports published by the Mayo Clinic, anemia, also known as low hemoglobin, is defined as a condition in which the human body lacks sufficient amounts of healthy red blood cells to transport oxygen to the tissues in the body (Mayo Clinic 2022). With this general description, anemia can also be found in different forms, which include: aplastic anemia, iron deficiency anemia, sickle cell anemia, thalassemia, and vitamin deficiency anemia (Mayo Clinic 2022). The most common form of anemia has been researched to be iron-deficiency anemia, as reported by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, is known to be the most common form of anemia (NIH 2022). This form of anemia can occur as a result of insufficient amounts of iron in the body. This form of anemia can also range from mild/moderate deficiency, to more severe deficiencies that can cause serious difficulties.
Both moderate and severe iron deficiency anemia call for the development of an at-home iron detection device. According to the NIH, acute anemia is often a result of red blood cell levels dropping abruptly, whereas chronic anemia is typically a slower decrease in red blood cells (NIH 2022). Blood loss is known to be the most common cause of anemia, as it leads to a direct loss of red blood cells. Patients within both demographics would greatly benefit from this biomedical device as it is important to monitor iron levels in order to fix them if needed. One of the various concerns that arise in relation to iron-deficiency anemia would be how much patients are negatively affected when they lose blood. The innovative aspect of using saliva rather than blood for iron detection is ideal and almost essential for patients suffering from severe iron deficiency anemia. In addition to direct blood drawing, anemia can also be diagnosed using bone marrow aspiration, along with upper or lower endoscopy (Johns Hopkins Medicine 2022).
Quick diagnosis of iron deficiency anemia can serve as a catalyst for proper treatment, making the at-home iron detection level device useful to many new anemic patients. Some cases of anemia may also require iron levels to be monitored regularly, which also puts the device to good use. Following the use of the device for diagnosis and iron level monitoring, treatment for iron deficiency anemia can be followed based on age, medical history, condition severity, medicine tolerance, and preference (Johns Hopkins Medicine 2022).
Our Human-Centered Approach
With these factors in mind, our human practices team is focusing on how exactly the integration of this device into daily lives and medical procedures can contribute to more accessible and efficient iron-deficiency treatment. In order to achieve this, we carried out different activities such as informative surveys and interviews with medical students and people with the given condition, in efforts to accurately analyze the potential impact of our device. Despite the diversity our device presents in relation to demographic use, we placed some emphasis on people such as college students, as they live busy lives day-to-day and are vulnerable to neglecting health-related tasks such as monitoring their iron levels. In addition to this, many college students have diets that may be nutritionally lacking due to the lack of timing that academic obligations may bring on. Thus we were able to use peer-reviewed research, surveys, and interviews to deeply understand the lives of students with the condition, how our device would benefit them, and from medical student shadowing on site, how our device would impact medical procedures with iron-deficient patients.
Designing Our Human Practices Framework
When constructing the frame of the human practices portion of our project, our team decided to focus on the populations that are most vulnerable to not receiving adequate care for iron-deficiency anemia, along with others who were most vulnerable to the condition in general. These demographics, as mentioned before, include college students, women, especially those who are pregnant, children, and the elderly, and in all, any of these individuals who may have a lower income. These factors pushed us to think of the ease of use of our device, along with the affordability.
A publication that allowed us to better understand the gravity and priorities in our human practices work would be “Iron-Deficiency and Anemia” done by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute in 2022. This article outlines the issue of iron-deficiency anemia, its symptoms, causes, along with the treatment methods and diagnosis processes. The article was also very informative in relation to consequences of lack of adequate treatment, which gave greater insight on the gravity and usefulness of the development and implementation of our device in daily life and healthcare.
Another publication that aided the focus specification process was “Who is at Risk of Iron-Deficiency Anemia? Infants and Young Children” by the Hematology-Oncology Associates of CNY. This article expounded upon how teenagers, along with women who are of child-bearing age can be at greater risk of severe iron-deficiency anemia. Other parts of the article that steered us towards focusing on college students and low income demographics would be the explanation of how poor diets fueled by fiscal issues and daily life can cause or worsen the condition. Diets that are low on animal-based protein, fat, and fiber can contribute to low iron. In greater contribution, this article also showed how important it is for our device to use saliva rather than blood, as many of these “at-risk” demographics do not benefit from losing blood when monitoring their iron levels.
Considering how anemia affects such a large portion of the world’s population but is also an issue that is not the most efficiently tackled in public health, our human practices team aimed to establish concrete reasoning and research to ensure that the development and implementation of our device will concretely contribute to better treatment of the condition.
Our Human Practices Journey
Our team had an eye on different ways in which our device would help several demographics. We saw that an emphasis could be placed on people of lower income, and groups that are at a greater disadvantage when it comes to suffering from low iron anemia. This then showed us that our device would not only make life easier for people but also medical professionals who often work with patients who have low iron or may want to monitor their iron levels.
The main purpose of looping in professionals like nurses and doctors, as well as clinics and hospitals as a whole, was to show how much of a benefit this iron level detection device can make in the lives of patients. It is also crucial in the medical procedural scene, and lastly for professionals to voice the importance of monitoring one's iron levels.
Summarizing Literature
Objective:
The main objective of sharing and conducting these surveys was to gain a direct idea of how iron-deficiency anemia affects people around us both medically and financially. Furthermore, conducting a separate survey to gain the perspective and insight from medical establishments and professionals served the purpose of showing us how exactly our device could be integrated into healthcare and medical procedures in comparison to the present day. This survey would also help to reflect how urgent the development of our device would be in healthcare.
Methodology:
Our surveys were sent to a number of people who suffered from iron deficiency anemia. The surveys outlined and included the concerns of having to monitor iron levels often, the financial implications of the condition, as well as potential lack of knowledge. This approach allowed our team to see how exactly our device could change the daily lives of patients with low iron, as well as alleviate potential financial burdens that may come with it.