Children with life threatening food allergies live with the constant threat of a fatal reaction, and caregivers must always be prepared to treat with an epinephrine auto-injector (EAI). This interpretive phenomenological study explored parents’ perceptions and lived experiences with prescribed EAI use for their child. The purposive sample included 10 parents of five children under 12 years of age, diagnosed with a food allergy and prescribed with an EAI who recently experienced anaphylaxis. Eight main themes emerged: perception of anaphylaxis, life challenges, isolation, anxiety, hesitation, guilt, influence of health care, and lessons learned. Parents described multiple life challenges and feelings of isolation, anxiety and hesitation during a reaction that lead to subsequent guilt. Handling reactions correctly provided parents with confidence to treat subsequent reactions. Witnessing the effects of an EAI and receiving positive feedback from health care providers further strengthened their confidence to quickly and competently intervene in future reactions. / February 2017

Detta examensarbete är utfört på uppdrag av företaget SHL Group AB, som producerar injektorer för patienter med kroniska sjukdomar. Injektorerna är anpassade för att patienten själv ska hantera dem i hemmet. Läkemedel som tas fram idag blir allt mer komplexa vilket kan leda till större volymer och längre injektionstider. Syftet med detta examensarbete var att ta fram ett injektionskoncept anpassat för större volymer samt hanterbar för reumatiker vid långa injektionstider. Fokus på projektet har legat kring användarstudier och den kreativa processen. För att ta reda på vilka behov som produkten behöver tillgodose har intervjuer och enkätundersökningar genomförts med reumatiker. Idéprocessen utfördes med hjälp av flera olika kreativa verktyg så som persona, Kanomodellen, House of Quality och brainstorming. Med hjälp av dessa verktyg togs fyra olika koncept fram och arbetet resulterade i en injektorhållare som under injektionen spänns fast på kroppen. / This is a thesis project carried out on behalf of the company SHL Group AB, which produces injectors for patients with chronic diseases. The injectors are adapted to the patient's own handling of them at home. Drugs that are being developed today are becoming more complex, leading to larger volumes and longer injection times. The purpose of this degree project is to develop a concept that is adapted to larger volumes and manageable for rheumatics at long injection times. The focus of the project has been user studies and the creative process. In order to find out which needs the product has to meet, interviews and questionnaires with rheumatics have been conducted. The idea process was performed using several creative tools such as persona, The Kano Model, House of Quality and brainstorming. Using these tools, four different concepts were developed and the work resulted in an injector holder that is fastened onto the body during injection.