TECH HEALTH SPECIAL............................ Design Is Changing How We Stay Healthy

Design Is Changing How We Stay Healthy

Our quest for wellness and healing has produced some of the best design thinking in the last few years. Here are some of the most interesting projects that take our health to heart.

Photo Sharing Helps Doctors Make Better Decisions, Stat

Richard Penner

Doctors have long used the web to share images of cases, but those conversations weren't being preserved. So Toronto ICU physician Joshua Landy cofounded Figure 1, a free photo-sharing app for medical professionals, to create an anonymous library where users can learn from rare and interesting cases and seek other MDs' opinions. The app has attracted more than 120,000 users since its launch in May 2013. "We need to be able to share ideas, concepts, problems, and solutions instantaneously," Landy says.

Kids Walk Straight. Parents Breathe Easy.

Miraclefeet Brace

Jeffrey Yang and Ian Connolly

Clubfoot is a leading cause of physical disability world­wide. But the braces used to treat the condition— which causes feet to turn inward—can be expensive and hard to use. "We tried to make it less medical and more playful, like a child's toy," says Miraclefeet co­designer Jeffrey Yang. He and Ian Connolly led a team of Stanford grad students to develop the brace, which is made out of lightweight plastic and costs less than $20. It's now being tested in Brazil, India, Nicaragua, and South Africa. Unlike most other devices, it also allows kids to walk while wearing it.

High-Tech Devices Keep Tabs On Health

These Monitors help take care of our babies, our grandparents, and ourselves.

HEALTHPATCH

Vital Connect
Doctors and caregivers can use it to track patients’ vital signs over the Internet.

How it works: The sticky strip—which went on sale in April—is outfitted with a small sensor. In addition to vitals, the unobtrusive device can detect falls, track calories, and even sense a patient’s posture.

How it was designed: “We wanted it to be as much like a Band-Aid as possible,” says Nersi Nazari, CEO of Vital Connect. “You can shower, sleep, and exercise with it—and, most important, forget about it.”

Why It Matters: “The cost of health care is unsustainable," says Nazari. “By allowing patients to go home just half a day earlier, the HealthPatch can save hospitals millions.”

LIFELINE GOSAFE

Philips
This alert necklace for active seniors helps monitor people who are prone to falling.

How it works: When the GoSafe detects a fall, a two-way voice channel opens on the necklace. If there’s no response, it triggers an audio alert and sends GPS data to emergency personnel. The device should be on sale by the end of the year.

How it was designed: “It’s incredibly small,” says Carlos Muchiutti, senior director of global product management at Philips
Lifeline. “We didn’t want people feeling awkward wearing one.”

Why It Matters: “Over 13 million seniors fall every year," says Muchiutti. "But many of those falls happen outside of the home, so existing medical-alert systems don't work.”

SCOUT

Scanadu
Makes checking your health as easy as checking your email.

How it works: Press the Yves Béhar–designed device (which is awaiting FDA approval) against your forehead, and it can read your temperature, blood pressure, heart rate, and other vitals, sending the info to your phone via a connected app.

How it was designed: “It wasn’t enough for us that it looked great,” says Scanadu cofounder Sam de Brouwer. “We designed it to create the same feeling of empathy as putting your hand on someone’s fore­head when they’re sick.”

Why It Matters: “Most people are shut off from data about their own bodies,” says de Brouwer. “That leads to bad decisions about health and creates unnecessary anxiety.”

SPROUTLING

A Fitbit-ish device that lets parents follow an infant’s health and sleep patterns.

How it works: PA sensor wraps around a baby’s ankle, tracking vitals, environment, and sleep patterns and linking with a phone app. Using this data, Sproutling can predict when a child might wake and alert parents in case of an emergency.

How it was designed: “When you’re designing a wearable for an infant, it has to be as organic and comfortable as possible,” says Sproutling CEO Chris Bruce.

Why It Matters: “Baby monitors are terrible. You have to watch them constantly, which creates stress in parents,” says Bruce. “We want to give them better insight into what is actually happening with their babies.”

Doctor Visits Are Less Painful

One Medical Group

Dr. Thomas Lee

One Medical is using technology to ­redesign primary care. Patients can book a same-day appointment, visit a doctor at one of 30 locations nationwide (with more planned soon), and receive consultations and prescription refills via mobile app. An annual membership fee of up to $199 covers the cost of service (doctor visits are ­extra). “When you’re sick is the last time you want to be treated rudely,” says Dr. Thomas Lee, who founded the company in 2007. “We wanted to design a thoughtful, people-centered experience that’s also convenient and affordable.” Here’s how it works.

1. A patient wakes up feeling ill and calls her doctor, but can’t get an appointment until later in the week.
2. In the waiting room, she is handed a stack of complicated forms to fill out before the doctor will see her.
3. She spends an hour flipping through People magazines before an assistant calls her name—and has her wait even longer in an examination room.
4. The physician hurries through a quick exam before moving on to another waiting patient.
5. The patient is told to make a ­follow-up ­appointment—for which she will repeat the process

     NEW WAY

1. A patient wakes up feeling ill and uses the One Medical mobile app to book an appointment for later that afternoon.
2. Before leaving the house, she uses the company’s website to check in. Her personal information is already on file.
3. According to the company, 95% of their appointments begin on time.
4. The physician conducts an in-depth assessment at a desk in a comfortable office, then does an exam.
5. For a follow-up, the patient can email with the ­doctor directly or request a video chat.

http://www.fastcodesign.com/3035015/innovation-by-design-2014/design-is-changing-how-we-stay-healthy#chapter-A_Prosthetic_Hand_Lets_Users_Feel_Again