Involving patients, families and medical staff in the evaluation of 3D printing models of congenital heart disease

Objective: To evaluate the usefulness of 3D printing patient-specific models of congenital heart disease (CHD) from the perspective of different stakeholders potentially benefiting from the technology (patients, parents, clinicians and nurses).
Methods: Workshops, focus groups and teaching sessions were organized, each targeting a different group of stakeholders. Sessions involved displaying and discussing different 3D models of CHD. Model evaluation involved questionnaires, audio-recorded discussions and written feedback.
Results: All stakeholders expressed a liking for the 3D models and for the patient-specific quality of such models. Patients indicated that 3D models can help them imagine “what’s going on inside” and parents agreed that these tools can spark curiosity in the young people. Clinicians indicated that teaching might be the most relevant application of such novel technology and nurses agreed that 3D models improved their learning experience during a course focused on CHD.
Conclusion: The successful engagement of different stakeholders to evaluate 3D printing technology for CHD identified different priorities, highlighting the importance of eliciting the views of different groups.
Practice Implications: A PPI-based approach in the evaluation and translation of 3D printing technology may increase patient empowerment, improve patient-doctor communication and provide better access to a new teaching and training tool.