The Aging Population and Medical Devices From: Medical Design Technology - 10/29/2015 The "geriatric generation," the "baby boomers," the "elderly market," the "aging population;" call it what you will but the global average age is rising and is quickly becoming a common topic in the medical and consumer world. What Does this Mean? As this generation age they create a much greater demand for pharmaceutical, biotechnology, and medical device products than experienced ever before. Baby Boomers might be more active than their predecessors, but they are not necessarily the healthier generation. They are more likely to be obese, have diabetes1, or have high blood pressure than the previous generation at similar ages. People are living longer but are not necessarily living better. With advancing technology in the medical industry, equipment can often be complicated and difficult to operate. It is becoming increasingly popular for patients to self- medicate; especially when diseases such as Type II Diabetes are on the rise. The inability for older people to use or access public transport is also putting higher strain on the development of telemedicine devices; creating an opportunity for doctors to treat patients remotely. Medical devices represent an extraordinarily varied product group; ranging from simple disposable supplies such as face masks and syringes through to surgical implements, patient-treatment and monitoring instruments. The operability and understanding of the packaging2 for devices and medicines also need to be functional. A recent study carried out by CCD3 showed that often it is the carers of patients who can struggle with the use of medical devices too. Highlighting that ergonomic design will not just help the older user, but also the carers and medical professionals who frequently have to learn how to operate new technologies with little to no training. Read the entire article at: http://www.mdtmag.com/blog/2015/10/aging-population-and-medical-devices Link: Accessibility of medical packaging: learning from people with impairments http://www.healthcarepackaging.com/applications/healthcare/accessibility-medical-packaging-learning-people-impairments