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Using Human-Centered Design to Build a Digital Health Advisor for Patients With Complex Needs: Persona and Prototype
Onil Bhattacharyya1,2, Kathryn Mossman1, Lovisa Gustafsson3
1Institute for Health Systems Solutions and Virtual Care, Women's College Hospital, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
Journal of Medical Internet Research
|May 17, 2019
Summary
A comprehensive digital health advisor can now be built to support patients with complex health needs. Key features include tracking, advice, holistic views, and communication, addressing patient-centered goals.
Area of Science:
- Digital Health
- Gerontology
- Health Informatics
Background:
- A comprehensive digital health advisor was proposed 20 years ago to empower patients.
- Current digital health applications are often limited in scope and target healthier individuals, neglecting those with significant health challenges.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify the unmet needs and essential features of a digital health advisor.
- Focus on frail elderly individuals and those with multiple chronic conditions, including their caregivers.
Main Methods:
- Utilized in-depth interviews to develop patient personas and use cases.
- Created a low-fidelity prototype based on iterative participant feedback.
- Shared findings with developers, investors, regulators, and health system leaders for input on development and dissemination.
Main Results:
- Patients prioritized goals such as "live my life," "love my life," "manage my health," and "feel understood."
- Patients and caregivers desired functions including tracking and insights, advice, a holistic patient overview, and improved coordination/communication.
- Experts deemed the prototype technically feasible and suggested dissemination through partnerships between healthcare organizations and consumer-focused entities.
Conclusions:
- The study outlines key features for a comprehensive digital health advisor.
- Further development requires addressing the business case and overcoming policy, organizational, and cultural barriers.
- Prioritizing patient goals is crucial for centering health system tools.
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