Article ; Online: Economic Potential for Distributed Manufacturing of Adaptive Aids for Arthritis Patients in the U.S.
Geriatrics (Basel, Switzerland)
2018 Volume 3, Issue 4
Abstract: By 2040, more than a quarter of the U.S. population will have diagnosed arthritic conditions. Adults with arthritis and other rheumatic conditions earn less than average yet have medical care expenditures that are over 12% of average household income. ... ...
| Abstract | By 2040, more than a quarter of the U.S. population will have diagnosed arthritic conditions. Adults with arthritis and other rheumatic conditions earn less than average yet have medical care expenditures that are over 12% of average household income. Adaptive aids can help arthritis patients continue to maintain independence and quality of life; however, their high costs limit accessibility for older people and the poor. One method used for consumer price reduction is distributed manufacturing with 3-D printers. In order to assess if such a method would be financially beneficial, this study evaluates the techno-economic viability of distributed manufacturing of adaptive aids for arthritis patients. Twenty freely accessible designs for 3-D printable adaptive aids were successfully fabricated on low-cost desktop 3-D printers and performed their functions adequately. The financial savings averaged >94% compared to commercially-available products. Overall, twenty adaptive aids were printed for US$20 of plastic; while on average, each adaptive aid would save over US$20. As printing a tiny subset of the adaptive aids needed by a single patient would recover the full capital and operational costs of a low-cost 3-D printer, it can be concluded that there is considerable potential for distributed manufacturing to assist arthritis patients. |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Publishing date | 2018-12-06 |
| Publishing country | Switzerland |
| Document type | Journal Article |
| ISSN | 2308-3417 |
| ISSN (online) | 2308-3417 |
| DOI | 10.3390/geriatrics3040089 |
| Database | MEDical Literature Analysis and Retrieval System OnLINE |
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