Claudia B. Rebola

Icon design for user interface of remote patient monitoring mobile devices

The purpose of this paper is to describe the studies undertaken in order to improve and simplify user interface (UI) design of a Remote Patient Monitoring (RPM) device, specifically the BL Healthcare Access Tablet. Current icon designs for UIs of the RPM devices are not well designed to reflect the needs, experiences and limitations of the end-user. Complex and unclear UIs and instructions make compliance with self-management schedules often poor. The issue of compliance, with the need for effective communication between chronic disease patients and healthcare professionals emphasize the need for the appropriate UI and communication technology. Improvement is made from the perspective of the user experience (UX) / UI redesign. Usability studies were conducted, followed by the UI redesign and icons design with the aim to address the UX design. A mobile application concept for the RPM is developed, that could be used on existing tablets and smartphones, thus eliminating the need for the current costly hardware.

SketchTop: design collaboration on a multi-touch tabletop

Computer mediated group collaboration, particularly in the design and engineering disciplines, is in need of better applications that suit the needs of effective exchange of information. Multi-touch surfaces offer the capabilities to augment and better enable face-to-face interaction with digital content and applications. This paper presents the design, development and testing of SketchTop, a multi-touch sketching application for collocated design collaboration.

Mobile Application Concept Development for Remote Patient Monitoring

The purpose of this case study is to describe the studies undertaken in order to improve remote patient monitoring devices (RPM), specifically The BL Healthcare Access Tablet. Current RPM devices are expensive devices that are not well designed to reflect the needs, experiences and limitations of the user. In this paper, we propose mobile application concept design for the RPM, which could be used on existing tablets and smart phones, thus eliminating the need for current costly hardware. Improvement is made from the perspective of user experience (UX)/user interface (UI) redesign. Usability studies were conducted, followed by the UI redesign with the aim to address the UX design.

Icon design to improve communication of health information to older adults

This paper describes the studies undertaken in order to improve and simplify communication of health information for a Remote Patient Monitoring (RPM) devices, specifically the BL Healthcare Access Tablet, to older adults. Current icon and information design of the RPM devices are not well designed to reflect the needs, experiences and limitations of the older adults. In addition to this, compliance with self-management schedules is often poor due to complex and unclear instructions and information design. The issue of compliance, with the need for effective communication between chronic disease patients and healthcare professionals emphasize the need for the appropriate information design and communication technology. Communication of health information was improved from the perspective of the user experience (UX) design and information design. For the purpose of addressing the UX redesign, usability studies were conducted, followed by the information redesign and icons design. Although medical peripherals, such as an electronic thermometer, are required to measure the patient information, a mobile or tablet application can easily be used to record, send and view this data. A concept for the RPM mobile application is developed, that could be used on existing tablets and smartphones, thus eliminating the need for the current costly hardware.

Integrating Universal Design (UD) Principles and Mobile Design Guidelines to Improve Design of Mobile Health Applications for Older Adults

Mobile technology can improve lives of older adults through remote health monitoring (telehealth), memory aids (including medicine reminders), personal data management, and social and communication assistance. Although numerous design guidelines, design principles, and heuristics have been developed to improve the user interface (UI) design of mobile applications for older adults, many usability problems are still reported. Alternatively, universal design (UD) advocates designing products and interfaces usable by all people, with all ranges of abilities. Older adults population is diverse in terms of the ranges of limitations as well as combinations of limitations they have. Design guidelines targeted towards specific abilities and limitations are not effective in a case of multiple limitations or diversity of limitations in older adults. Applying design guidelines to UD principles would address diversity of limitations within this population group. This project explores the ways in which we can bridge discrepancies between the existing design guidelines and UD principles to improve design of mobile health applications for older adults. In this paper, we describe usability studies and redesign of the remote patient monitoring (RPM) mobile application UI for older adults, refined RPM mobile app interface using the UD approach, and a set of inclusive design guidelines that reconcile inconsistencies between design guidelines and UD principles.

Design research methods to understand user needs for an etextile knee sleeve

Knee replacement surgery is dramatically increasing in the United States for people over the age of 45 and rehabilitation after surgery is a necessary step for the success of the replacement. Rehabilitation requires regular access to a wide variety of resources and personnel. Currently, there are no self-care tools to enable tracking a patients rehabilitative progress at home. As such, there is an opportunity to design and develop sensing technology tools to help alleviate the healthcare system and empower people in the knee rehabilitation process. The purpose of this paper is to describe the design process for a wearable, home rehabilitation device for knee replacement: an eTextile Knee Sleeve. More specifically, it describes the design research methods undertaken to understand user needs, including expert interviews, rehabilitation observation, and a participatory design workshop, to leverage advancements in technology and the field of eTextiles.

Sympathetic Devices: Communication Technologies for Inclusion

ABSTRACT Encouraging wellness at home is a necessary step in alleviating the burden of an increasing number of older adults on the health care system and can also provide a vehicle for promoting independence and quality of life among older adults. However, aging at home comes with its own challenges, one of which is depression caused by isolation, a serious condition related to healthy aging and outcomes affecting a large number of older adults. Addressing communication needs across housing options might bring us closer to understanding and preventing social isolation and loneliness among older adults. This article presents an iterative process of applied within-subjects survey and action research studies for designing communication technologies—sympathetic devices for older adults living independently. Emphasis and discussion is given to describing the design process of the sympathetic devices. Several concepts and products were designed and tested with older adults with consideration for aesthetic preferences as well as usefulness, ease of use, and accessibility of the technological devices. The results provide strong evidence of the importance of both form and function, when designing such technological devices for acceptance and adoption by older adults. More importantly, the research highlights a need for a multidisciplinary and intergenerational approach to address the real needs of older adults in the design of such technologies.

Stitchtures: interactive art installations for social interventions in retirement communities

The purpose of this paper is to describe the design and development of an interactive art installation, Stitchtures, for retirement community shared common areas. Physical and digital co-design activities are described in the development of an interactive art piece inspired by biological systems and collective behavior. Vision systems are also described for data gathering during implementation. The combined methodologies respond to the specific aims of the project, which investigates the effects of design and technology interventions on aiding interactions among older adults in retirement communities.

Pictures at an exhibition: a physical/digital puppetry performance piece

Pictures at an Exhibition is a physical/digital puppetry piece that uses tangible interface puppets to modify a virtual scene projected at the back of the stage in real-time. Telling the story of a heist in an art gallery, the actions of the puppets are digitally reflected in abstract changes to an artwork in the scene. The piece merges traditional puppeteering practices with tangible interaction technologies and virtual environments to create a novel performance for the live stage.

Designed Technologies for Healthy Aging

Abstract Download Free Sample Designed Technologies for Healthy Aging identifies and presents a variety of contemporary technologies to support older adults’ abilities to perform everyday activitie...