Hi

[BenC]

Hi All,

   I am not sure if it is appropriate to ask for opinions here, so if not, just let me know and I will rescind this request.

   My name is Ben Cappelletty.  I am not a dialysis patient.  I was directed to this site by my great uncle Dick, who has been a dialysis patient for the last 6 years.  I also work part time as a computer tech at Fresenius Medical Care.  Some of you may have heard of them.     I am taking a course in Marketing at Boston College in Boston and have a project due in a few weeks to demostrate the introduction of a new product to the marketplace. 

   I've heard of a few ideas for new products at work and thought I would ask my uncle if he thought any of them were good for my project.  He directed me to this site. 

   What I would like to know is if a phosphate binder, like Phoslo, incorporated into a granola bar would be a product of interest?  I've heard of the concept, but haven't been able to get much information at work.

   Also, are there any other product type of ideas that would be of interest?  I'm looking for a real idea that could help real people.  I think it will make a great class project and might help me secure a full job next year.  And who knows, maybe I could help someone get a new product introduced.


Thanks for reading!

Ben

[willieandwinnie]

Hey Ben.  I kind of like the granola bar idea, don't know how it would taste. My husband was the dialysis patient and he hated those binders. My question would be, some people have to take 2, 4 or even 6 binders with meals and I'm not sure how you could divide that up. Someone here will definitely have things to say on this, so sit back and wait. You should have your Uncle join us. Hope you get some answers to your questions and by the way we were home hemo patients out of a Fresenius Clinic.

[Sluff]

Welcome to Ihatedialysis.com Ben,

I am predialysis so I can't really help you, but I just wanted to welcome you to the site.

Sluff/Admin

[boxman55]

Welcome to the site. If your marketing ideas are going to be food related come to the diet and recipes forum and ask your questions. That way we can discuss it properly. Again welcome and I am sure you will get some ideas. How about getting the potassium out of some drinks to make them more consumable to dialysis patients

Boxman, Moderator

[Ang]

 

like  your  ideas,keep  up  the  good  works

[twirl]

hello                                           these may not be relevent to anyone else, however, they would improve my life

1. a water Popsicle that is the consistency of a Popsicle and not ice, in other words you can eat if off the stick without breaking a tooth,
    that would allow a few ounces of water to last longer---- like a unflavored Popsicle--- they can have an after taste
2. something to wear over your drug addicted looking arm while you swim and something to wear if you want to wear shorter sleeves -
    not medical looking
3. something to help your butt not go numb after the first hour
4. decent crafts that you can do with one free hand
5. make the binders so delicious that we want to take them, let us choose a flavor we could chew like skittles, starburst, nacho cheese
   or make them where we can place three in an ounce of water and it taste just like a Pepsi or a margarita
6. invent a device where turning pages while reading a book is easier and the book is easy to hold
7. invent a shield or something to where we can have a small amount of privacy; I know more about other patient's medical condition than my 
    husband's
8. make something like a dog whistle that only techs can hear; or make it have a tiny shock, then I'd get off to go potty quicker
9. it would also be nice to have chewable flavored ice, tea or Pepsi would be nice     
10. how about a machine that we wear or fits in us, a tech told me that was in the works for the future
11. saved the best for last, make it so a worker can not turn off your machine when your time is over because the noise is disturbing,   
     20 minutes later you are still waiting to be taken off

these are some of my ideas    unusual I'm sure but remember sitting on your sore for so long will eventually drive you over the edge

[Romona]

 

[flip]

A pivoting lap tray that will work on dialysis chairs and provide a nice large work surface.

[twirl]

what Flip said and more room on the tiny little side table we have
maybe a drink holder would be nice
techs hate it when you drop things

[BenC]

Thanks so much for the warm welcome.  I will post my question under food. 

I spoke to a Dialysis nurse last night and she told me that the problem the granola bar might solve would be 'compliance'.  Which I think is a very unfortunate term.  As I understand it, getting some people to take the phosphate binder consistently can be a real issue.  So anything that would make the experience less mundane could help. 

The idea is to get some pleasant flavor and nutrition along with the binder.  I spoke with a Product Manager for a granola bar manufacturer and was told that a good minimum qty to get a cost effective solution would be 100,000 per month.  I'm guessing that the flavors offered may have to be flavors that match up with the binder.  Just like a chaulky tasting wine would. 

There would need to be various dosages.  But it might not be feasible from a taste perspective once you get into the higher doses.  You may be stuck with one flavor.  Chalkolot.

I love some of these ideas.

For the ones that aren't food related, I have asked for an appropriate channel to submit some of these ideas.  TWIRL!  Thanks so much for some great ideas.  I have heard that all of the dialysis firms have some sort of 'skunk works' projects to get to a wearable machine.  The general impression I get is that there will be some devices that get to a 'feasible' stage within the next 10 years, but that they will have the same hurdles that the present artificial hearts have.  If I had to guess, I would think that they might be able invent something first that would not replace the dialysis treatments but that would prolong the time between treatments.  But that is just pure guessing on my part.

I like the water popsicle idea.  I'll bet you can shave ice and then reform it to make a softer ice.  There HAS to be a machine that does something like that already.

I like the idea about the arm protector also.  What do you think would be different about the arm protector than a lycra or neoprene shirt worn for swimming or diving?  I think you need the shirt part to keep the protector from sliding down.  Especially if you are swimming in water.

I have to wonder why the clinics don't offer better seating, considering how long you are in a chair for.  With the materials like Gel for bike seat and the tempurpedic foams, you would think they would have a few of those available.   Like this seat:  http://www.bannertherapy.com/ProductInfo.aspx?obus-forme-and-reg;-gel-seat-cushion&number=45-107

I know that fresenius is rolling out a new set of systems for techs and patients.  The new patient systems are supposed to have internet access, medical information and streaming "on-demand" tv or movies.  I also heard that it was going to be a long roll-out process.  7 years? or more. 

I would think that Hipaa would require the techs to use screens that hide information.  Just like I've seen some people use on planes.  I wonder why that hasn't been a consideration?

Anyway.  Thanks for the GREAT ideas.  I'm going to put a couple of these, like the low-potassium drinks, on the diet and food forum to see what people think.   

 

Ben

[twirl]

  I may live in the woods, but I do know we have machines that make shaved ice. I want it in the form of a popsicle, you can hold it and eat
          like a popsicle....
          a screen can hide things but you can still hear everything
          just something light to cover these horrible arms ; when students see your arm, they don't freak
          Hellloooooooo, where did you say you where going to evaluate each idea?

[BenC]

Hi Twirl,

  I am going to make a couple of posts in the diet/food section.  I haven't done that yet.   
 
  So your idea is a flavorless popsicle.  I wonder what could be added in to prevent it from becoming icey?   

  Hmmm.  I wonder what can be done about the techs verbalizing too much information.  Do you have any ideas?  I assume that they can't partition the patients too much since they need to have them in site.  I wonder if they could use curtains, like in a recovery room. I wonder if that would help.  They would need to have video monitors above each station.  But then they could have a master console, just like in a security station.  Maybe the head nurse could watch the monitors and if each patient could be clicked on to get vital information and information about the treatment, maybe that would help streamline things a bit.  I'll bet once the software was built that could be deployed for under 30K per location.

   For arm covers, they have these fashiony things I've seen people wear.  Is this something more along the lines of what you were thinking?

   http://www.sockdreams.com/_shop/pages/accessories_detail_ProductID_1172.php   

   I'll put another post here when I get the questions up into the correct forum.  I need to think about which ones I should put in there.

[kitkatz]

Welcome to the site.  My daughter is doing a minor in marketing at the Engineering school she is in.   I hope you can come up with a decent product to use in your presentation.  I would like a lite weight table to use at dialysis.  One that I can push away and get to when I need it. I hate the tiny table I have to put my stuff on attached to the chair.  Come on folks I need more room than that!



kitkatz,moderator

[twirl]

I agree.

[kimcanada]

hello                                           these may not be relevent to anyone else, however, they would improve my life

1. a water Popsicle that is the consistency of a Popsicle and not ice, in other words you can eat if off the stick without breaking a tooth,
    that would allow a few ounces of water to last longer---- like a unflavored Popsicle--- they can have an after taste
2. something to wear over your drug addicted looking arm while you swim and something to wear if you want to wear shorter sleeves -
    not medical looking
3. something to help your butt not go numb after the first hour
4. decent crafts that you can do with one free hand
5. make the binders so delicious that we want to take them, let us choose a flavor we could chew like skittles, starburst, nacho cheese
   or make them where we can place three in an ounce of water and it taste just like a Pepsi or a margarita
6. invent a device where turning pages while reading a book is easier and the book is easy to hold
7. invent a shield or something to where we can have a small amount of privacy; I know more about other patient's medical condition than my 
    husband's
8. make something like a dog whistle that only techs can hear; or make it have a tiny shock, then I'd get off to go potty quicker
9. it would also be nice to have chewable flavored ice, tea or Pepsi would be nice     
10. how about a machine that we wear or fits in us, a tech told me that was in the works for the future
11. saved the best for last, make it so a worker can not turn off your machine when your time is over because the noise is disturbing,   
     20 minutes later you are still waiting to be taken off

these are some of my ideas    unusual I'm sure but remember sitting on your sore for so long will eventually drive you over the edge

LOLOLOLOL Thanks for the great laugh!