Tag: connected health

NordiCHI 2024 Workshop – Design Methods in Connected Health

22 October 2024 / Shweta Premanandan

On 13 October 2024, a quiet Sunday, I had this incredible opportunity of organizing and leading a pre-conference NordiCHI workshop along with my colleagues Åsa Cajander, Sofia Ouhbi and Awais Ahmad focused on Design Methods in Connected Health. It was an exciting day filled with lively discussions, fresh ideas, and a lot of collaborative energy. We had a diverse group of participants, all bringing their expertise to explore how design approaches can be used and can influence the landscape of connected health. Here’s a rundown of how the day unfolded and some of the most memorable moments.

Setting the tone

We kicked off with a quick introduction and overview. We wanted to ensure that everyone felt comfortable and that we were all on the same page about the goals of the workshop. The idea was simple: explore how different design methods can be be used and influence connected health solutions, particularly in making them more human-centered and responsive to real-world challenges. As participants introduced themselves, it became clear that we had a diverse group with varied experience and expertise in the connected health field. This diversity added depth to our conversations, as everyone brought unique perspectives to the table, enriching our exploration of the challenges and opportunities in designing for connected health.

Diving Into Design Methods

The first part of the workshop revolved around several short presentations, each one offering a unique design scenario for connected health. After each presentation, we held a Q&A where the group could reflect, ask questions, and share their own thoughts. This wasn’t just a formal back-and-forth – it felt more like a natural, flowing conversation where everyone got involved. People were eager to discuss both the opportunities and the challenges of each approach.

The discussions brought up a wide range of opportunities and challenges related to designing in connected health. As a group, we identified the most important and relevant topics that resonated with the participants. From these discussions, we selected five key themes that stood out for their relevance to the ongoing work in connected health. These themes were chosen to be explored further in the next session, where participants would pair up and engage in deeper discussions during a gallery walk. This allowed for a more focused exchange of ideas and practical insights on each theme.

Interactive Reflections: The Gallery Walk

In the afternoon, we switched things up with a Gallery Walk. This was a chance for participants to physically move around in pairs, reflecting on the key themes that had emerged earlier. Participants paired up and stopped by different stations, jotting down their thoughts, questions, or even new insights on the topics that stood out to them.

This was one of the highlights for us. It was incredible to see how ideas that had been discussed briefly earlier in the day could spark deeper reflections when people had the chance to digest them in a different way. By the end, we had walls full of notes, suggestions, and thought-provoking questions that built on each other.

Bringing It All Together

The day didn’t end there! After the Gallery Walk, we spent time reflecting on how these design methods could be applied in real-world scenarios. People considered how they could integrate these insights into their own work, which led to a discussion about potential collaborations.

To keep the momentum going, we began drafting ideas for a joint research paper. By the end of the session, we had a rough outline for the paper, which will hopefully lead to future collaborations.

Wrapping Up

As we closed the workshop, we could see a sense of accomplishment among tha participants. We had discussed complex ideas, brought diverse perspectives to the table, and, most importantly, walked away with new connections and insights. The workshop was an amazing opportunity to dive deep into connected health design methods, and I’m already looking forward to where these discussions and ideas will take us next.

It’s always inspiring to see how people from different backgrounds can come together to innovate and push the boundaries of what’s possible in health care. Watch this space for updates on the collaborative paper.

My Upcoming PhD defense – ‘Care for Caregivers: Designing IT Applications for Informal Caregivers’

9 September 2024 / Shweta Premanandan

On Friday, September 13, 2024, at Uppsala University, I will defend my Ph.D. thesis titled Care for Caregivers: Designing IT Applications for Informal Caregivers. This research contributes to the field of Information systems and informal caregiving, focusing on how technology can be used to support informal caregivers—those who provide care to their relatives with illness or disabilities.

What is the Thesis About?

The thesis explores the development of IT applications to support informal caregivers. Informal caregiving often involves immense emotional, physical, and logistical challenges, all of which can take a toll on caregivers’ well-being. By identifying and analyzing the needs of caregivers, this research developed two primary IT solutions: an eCoaching platform and a web-based health application named Carer eSupport. These tools are designed to offer personalized guidance, resources, and support systems.

To design these applications, the thesis incorporates Persuasive Design and Positive Design approaches. Persuasive Design leverages behavioral psychology to encourage positive actions, while Positive Design focuses on enhancing emotional well-being. This research also critically analyzes their application in the caregiving context.

Why It Matters?

Caregivers play an essential yet often undervalued role in the healthcare system. They provide care, support, and comfort to their relatives in need, often with little formal training or external support. Despite the importance of their work, caregivers frequently struggle with balancing their responsibilities and maintaining their own well-being. This research highlights the crucial role that technology can play in supporting caregivers, providing them with accessible tools that can alleviate some of their burdens.

By addressing the needs of various caregiver groups, including native Swedish caregivers, immigrant caregivers, and those caring for patients with head and neck cancer, the thesis offers solutions that are tailored to the diverse needs of different populations.

Key Contributions

The thesis presents several key contributions based on interviews, focus groups, and evaluations conducted with caregivers and healthcare professionals:

Comparative Analysis: The thesis provides a comparative analysis of the Persuasive Systems Design (PSD) model and the Positive Design Framework for creating IT applications for informal caregivers. It highlights the strengths and weaknesses of both approaches, offers an in-depth reflection on their design processes, and evaluates their effectiveness in meeting caregivers’ needs. Additionally, it offers recommendations on when to use PSD or Positive Design based on the caregiving context and provides practical guidelines for integrating both approaches to balance functionality and emotional support.
Adaptation of Frameworks: The research adapts the PSD and Positive Design frameworks specifically for informal caregiving, highlighting their relevance and applicability to this context.
Ethical Considerations: The thesis discusses the ethical implications of using persuasive and positive design techniques.
Literature Mapping: A systematic literature review is provided, offering crucial design recommendations and identifying facilitators and barriers to the implementation of IT applications in informal caregiving.
Proposing IT Solutions: The development, exploration, and evaluation of IT applications are also key contributions, including an eCoaching platform and a web-based health application designed to address and support the complex roles of caregivers.

The Role of Technology in Caregiving: What It Can and Can’t Do

Supporting caregivers with technology is an exciting idea, but it’s important to remember that technology has its limits. Caregiving isn’t just about tasks—it’s about empathy, understanding, and human connection. While apps and digital tools can make things easier for caregivers by providing information, resources, and reminders, they can’t replace the care and warmth that come from a real human interaction.

The truth is, informal caregivers are often expected to do the work of healthcare professionals, even though they might not have the training, time, or resources. This puts a lot of stress on them, leading to burnout and, in some cases, poorer outcomes for the people they care for. And not everyone has access to a strong support system, making caregiving even harder for people in marginalized communities.

So, while technology can help caregivers by making their lives a bit easier, it shouldn’t be seen as a replacement for proper healthcare support. Caregivers need more than just apps; they need real, systemic support from the healthcare system. As we move forward, it’s crucial that research and policy work together to find better ways to take this burden off caregivers. Until then, IT applications can hope to provide some respite.

The Defense Day

On the day of the defense, the opponent, Professor Tone Bratteteig from University of Oslo, presents my research and then we engage in a discussion. This is followed by questions by the grading committee members and then the audience.

The defense will take place at 13.15 in room B115 at Ekonomikum, Uppsala University. I’m looking forward to it.

NordiCHI Workshop – Call for Participation

22 June 2024 / Shweta Premanandan

Design Methods in Connected Health

We are excited to invite you to our interactive workshop, which will explore and advance design methods for Connected Health applications.

Full day on 13 October 2024, On-site at Ekonomikum, Uppsala University

The Design Methods in Connected Health workshop aims to bring together researchers, practitioners, and designers in eHealth to explore innovative design approaches and philosophies that can enhance the user experience, accessibility, and overall effectiveness of electronic health technologies. Connected health is a multifaceted concept encompassing technology to improve healthcare delivery and patient outcomes. Design methods are processes and tools for creating effective user experiences in technology development.

This workshop will explore diverse design approaches from various fields, including Human-Computer Interaction (HCI), Information Systems (IS), Health Informatics, and Healthcare.

It aims to foster the exchange of ideas and methodologies across these domains. The aims and objectives include

to explore the diverse design methods in the context of eHealth applications,
to discuss the impact of design on user engagement, and overall health outcomes,
to share best practices and case studies of eHealth design implementations,
to foster collaboration between researchers and practitioners for future advancements in eHealth design, and
to collaborate on drafting a joint paper for a scientific journal, drawing upon the collective insights gained.

The workshop will explore design methods, analyzing their strengths and weaknesses to determine the most suitable approach for different situations. Through a mix of presentations, group discussions, and collaborative activities like a gallery walk (an activity where participants rotate through stations to evaluate and discuss ideas), participants will engage in a dynamic learning experience. The workshop culminates in a collaborative effort to draft a joint paper for a scientific journal, drawing upon the collective insights gained.

The workshop will be in person and will feature an introduction to various design practices used in the eHealth field using a fishbowl discussion method. This will be followed by discussions on these philosophies using an interactive method called Gallery Walk, which is an activity where participants rotate through stations to evaluate and discuss ideas. This is followed by a wrap-up session.

Who Should Attend?

Researchers in design and Connected Health.
UX designers specializing in Connected Health projects.
Healthcare professionals interested in developing Connected Health solutions.

What to Expect:

Interactive Sessions: Participate in engaging discussions and a “gallery walk” to critically assess and compare different design methods.
Collaborative Paper: Collaborate with other attendees to co-author a paper intended for publication in a scientific journal, leveraging the collective expertise and insights acquired during the workshop.
Sharpen Your Skills: Improve your understanding of Connected Health design methods and acquire actionable knowledge to create user-centric Connected Health solutions.

Submission

The submission should be a maximum of 3 pages long.

Format: Please use the ACM submission template.
Title and Author Information: Clear and descriptive title of the submission. Name(s), affiliation(s), and email address(es).
Abstract: 100-150 words. A brief overview of the design method, its context, and the key takeaways.
Introduction: Provide background information and relevance of the design method to Connected Health. Outline the specific areas or challenges or issues the method addresses in Connected Health.
Design Method Description: Describe the design method in detail. Outline the steps, tools, and techniques involved. Mention any theoretical or conceptual frameworks underpinning the method.
Application and Context: Describe a specific use case or example where the design method was applied. Provide context about how the method was implemented, including settings, participants, and any technological tools used. Discuss any challenges encountered during the application of the method.
Outcomes and Lessons Learned: Summarize the outcomes or results achieved through the application of the design method. Share key insights or lessons learned from the experience. Discuss how the design method impacted user engagement, accessibility, or health outcomes.
Discussion: Analyze the strengths and weaknesses of the design method. If applicable, compare with other design methods used in similar contexts. Suggest potential improvements or future applications of the method in Connected Health.
Conclusion: Recap the key points of the submission. Propose next steps for research or practice in Connected Health design.
Appendices (Optional): Any supplementary material, such as diagrams, detailed tables, or screenshots of the design method in action.

Important Dates:

Deadline Extended!

Deadline for Abstract Submission – 13 September 2024
Notification of Acceptance – 16 September 2024
Workshop Date – 13 October 2024

Email your submissions to: Shweta Premanandan (shweta.premanandan@im.uu.se), Awais Ahmad (awais.ahmad@it.uu.se)

Workshop Organizers:

Åsa Cajander, Department of Information Technology, Uppsala University (asa.cajander@it.uu.se)

Sofia Ouhbi, Department of Information Technology, Uppsala University (sofia.ouhbi@it.uu.se)

Shweta Premanandan, Department of Informatics and Media, Uppsala University (shweta.premanandan@im.uu.se)

Awais Ahmad, Department of Information Technology, Uppsala University (awais.ahmad@it.uu.se)

E-Coaching for Informal Caregivers: Building Resilience and Well-being

11 September 2023 / Shweta Premanandan

As we navigate through the complex experience of caregiving, it is often the informal caregivers, such as close friends or relatives, who become the unsung heroes of caregiving at home. These caregivers are the ones who provide the much-needed support and assistance that patients require to live life with some semblance of normalcy.

For informal caregivers, providing care for a loved one can be emotionally, physically, and mentally challenging. They often have to adapt to a new role as the primary caregiver, while also managing their own lives and responsibilities. Consequently, caregiving can take a toll on these caregivers’ well-being, with many experiencing stress and burnout. Interventions designed to provide support to these caregivers are thus crucial. To this end, our recent study identified important unmet needs of informal caregivers and provided design suggestions for a persuasive e-coaching application using the persuasive system design (PSD) model. The PSD model offers a systematic approach to designing IT interventions.

Using a qualitative research approach, we interviewed 13 informal caregivers and conducted a thematic analysis of the data. From this analysis, six needs were identified: monitoring and guidance, assistance in navigating formal care services, access to practical information without feeling overwhelmed, a sense of community, access to informal support, and the ability to accept grief. These needs formed the basis for suggested design features in an e-coaching application, using the PSD model.

However, we found that some needs could not be mapped using the existing PSD model. As such, we adapted the model to better address the needs of informal caregivers.

By identifying the needs of informal caregivers and providing design suggestions for an e-coaching application, this study offers support and hope for those navigating the challenging role of caregiving. The suggestions for e-coaching applications using the PSD model have the potential to ease the caregiving burden, as well as provide caregivers access to the support and resources they need to provide better care, which is an essential factor in improving both the caregiver’s well-being and the overall quality of care provided to patients. This study highlights the importance of providing support to informal caregivers and demonstrates the potential of technology-based interventions to improve caregivers’ lives. With further development and refinement, e-coaching applications designed based on the PSD model could become valuable tools for supporting and empowering informal caregivers.

Empowering People with Anxiety: Biofeedback-based Connected Health Interventions

8 May 2023 / Sofia Ouhbi

In today’s fast-paced world, anxiety has become a prevalent and concerning issue affecting individuals of all ages. The COVID-19 pandemic has further exacerbated this problem, with feelings of fear, worry, and uncertainty becoming more common. As we strive to find effective interventions for anxiety, the emerging field of connected health, combined with biofeedback techniques, holds great promise.

Understanding Anxiety
Anxiety, a complex interplay of psychological and physiological factors, manifests as a state of fear, uneasiness, and nervousness. It is a natural response to stress, serving as a signal of potential danger. However, when anxiety becomes persistent and overwhelming, it may indicate the presence of an anxiety disorder. These disorders, such as Generalized Anxiety Disorder, Panic Disorder, or Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, can significantly impact a person’s well-being and quality of life.

The Rise of Anxiety
Anxiety disorders have been on the rise globally, and Sweden is no exception. Self-reported anxiety and nervousness have witnessed an 11% increase in the country between 2011 and 2021. Women tend to be more affected than men across all age groups. The contributing factors to anxiety disorders are multifaceted, including difficult life experiences, environmental influences, health behaviors, and various physical factors such as genetics and brain chemistry.

Connected Health Interventions for Anxiety
Connected health, the integration of information communication technology into healthcare, offers innovative solutions for managing anxiety. Among the various digital interventions, biofeedback stands out as a non-pharmacological and non-invasive approach. Biofeedback leverages the measurement of physiological changes associated with psychological states, enabling individuals to monitor and control their bodily functions influenced by anxiety.

Advantages of Biofeedback
Technological advancements have made biofeedback more accessible, affordable, and user-friendly. It allows individuals to gain awareness and insight into their physiological changes, empowering them to better regulate their mental states. Biofeedback can help individuals recognize internal states linked to arousal and relaxation, fostering a sense of self-efficacy and control. By addressing both psychological and physiological symptoms, biofeedback holds immense potential in anxiety detection and treatment.

Types of Biofeedback and Their Applications
Biofeedback utilizes various sources of biodata, including respiration, brain activity (neurofeedback), muscle tension, skin conductance, temperature, and heart rate variability. Our systematic literature review has revealed that biofeedback interventions for anxiety primarily leverage two types of feedback: modifications to user interface and experience or visual presentations of physiological changes. Virtual Reality (VR) has emerged as a powerful tool, enhancing the efficacy of biofeedback interventions by providing immersive exposure therapy experiences. Serious games coupled with biofeedback have also shown promising results, influencing behavior and facilitating learning.

Biofeedback is often combined with relaxation techniques, such as progressive relaxation, breathing exercises, and meditation. These practices have demonstrated effectiveness in reducing anxiety and stress. In biofeedback-based interventions, individuals receive real-time feedback on their physiological measurements, fostering a deeper understanding of the mind-body connection. Music therapy, coupled with biofeedback, has also yielded positive outcomes, regulating both physical and mental health.

The Road Ahead
As we delve deeper into the realm of biofeedback-based connected health interventions for anxiety, ongoing research and development are crucial. Further exploration of different sensors, treatment techniques, and physiological data collection methods will enhance the efficacy and accessibility of these interventions. Collaborations between researchers, clinicians, and technology experts hold the potential to transform anxiety management and empower individuals to lead healthier, more fulfilling lives.

Reference: Alneyadi, M., Drissi, N., Almeqbaali, M., and Ouhbi, S. (2021). Biofeedback-based Connected Mental Health Interventions for Anxiety: Systematic Literature Review. JMIR mHealth and uHealth, 9(4): e26038, doi: 10.2196/26038