Treffer: Can athletes design their own technology solutions? Athlete voice driving co-design in sports technology development and implementation

Athlete’s voice and lived experience in sports medicine and technology research is rarely included in optimising research into athletic performance and health. Upper limb injuries have a high incidence and prevalence in water polo. Increased goal shooting volumes and shorter rest times between shots have been associated with an increased likelihood to report shoulder symptoms – yet no measurement method existed to quantify shooting volumes. Three Olympic athletes in various roles (competing athlete, physiotherapist-researcher and swimwear entrepreneur) collaborated to include the athlete’s voice in co-designing sensor pockets to be used in a longitudinal study to develop a novel upper limb inertial measurement unit monitoring system. Team used a six iteration design process to design, refine and test the sensor pockets in-the-field. Design evaluation included self-trialling in training, field notes and athletes’ feedback. Sensor data visual inspection revealed taping and pocket placements were comparable. Athletes indicated that sensor pocket addition did not alter suit position/comfort, nor their performance – increasing long-term technology adoption likelihood. It also eliminated allergic skin reaction from the alternative use of sports tape affixation of the device. Including the athlete’s voice in sports research can lead to better outcomes for those most affected by research: the athletes themselves. Key Words: Patient Public Involvement, Technology Research, Olympic Athlete, Athletes’ Feedback