A Preliminary Consumer Survey for Aesthetic Design and Development of a Mobile Health Application for DIY Diagnosis of 21 Common Acute Diseases (LB478)

Abstract

The myriad shortcomings of the healthcare system are self‐evident. Issues ranging from lack of access, to high cost of services, to widely variable quality of care are endemic not only in the US but also worldwide. Efforts to address these issues have met with limited success. To effect real change, fundamental movement in current practice, technologies generated by a synergy of fresh ideas, emerging technologies, and “disruptive” integration and approaches is necessary. Key to widespread adoption will be a focus on the user rather than the devices and technical capabilities. Technology by itself is not transformative ‐ it requires framing and usability that provides value to individuals and groups of people.We are currently developing a mobile health solution for self diagnosis of 21 indications as a solution for the Qualcomm Medical Tricorder X Prize Competition: team “SMART McCoy”. Medical testing generally evokes fear and discomfort, presenting significant barriers to be overcome before an instrument is adopted for regular at‐home use. A key element to our solution lies in the user experience and interface engaging people to medically test themselves. This unique capability is brought to bear on the challenge of making the Tricorder technical capabilities friendly, engaging and even fun using virtual human and avatar interface. Through collaboration our team has close ties with the entertainment industry, especially in games and narrative, and these “soft skills” will be applied to bringing digital health to analog humans.To determine consumer experience and refine our design and development strategies, we have devised a consumer survey based on questions and answers that attempt to engage consumers to test their own ailments using our mobile health solutions. Results of this preliminary survey, our conclusions, and modifications to the mobile health solution for the Qualcomm Medical Tricorder X Prize Competition will be presented.