Rora

Rora helps in minimizing preeclampsia risks through early detection.

Year

2022

Project Type

Medical

Role

Secondary research
User interviews
Ideation
Low-Fidelity Prototype
Feasibility study
High-Fidelity Prototype

Time line

7 weeks

Overview

Why choose this problem

I chose to focus on the problem of premature births in my town because it is a real-life issue that I have been observing an increase in, and I want to try to find a solution to it. It is a problem that is happening in my immediate surroundings and I believe that addressing it would have a positive impact on my community.

What is Pre-eclampsia ?

Pre-eclampsia is a serious complication of pregnancy characterized by high blood pressure and damage to organs, such as the kidneys and liver. It typically develops after 20 weeks of pregnancy and can lead to serious health problems for both the mother and the baby if left untreated. Symptoms of pre-eclampsia include high blood pressure, protein in the urine, severe headaches, and changes in vision. In severe cases, pre-eclampsia can lead to eclampsia, which is a condition characterized by seizures. It can also lead to preterm birth, low birth weight, and death in severe cases.

Solution

Rora is a smart blood pressure cuff that helps mothers minimize the harms of preeclampsia through at-home detection and blood pressure management.
Research Objectives

1) Analyzing the current detection methods

2) Discovering some of the emerging technologies in high-risk emergency care.

3) Understand the user journey of a pregnancy with preeclampsia Objectives

Research (Methods)
01

Secondary Research

02

Competitive analysis

03

Interviews with 2 patients with and without preeclampsia

04

1 Interview with a specialized doctor

1) There are many methods to monitor/protect against preeclampsia, such as:

2) Existing blood pressure cuffs overlook other signs of preeclampsia.

3) Mothers with unknown or low risks often disregard their blood pressure until they are diagnosed.

“Nothing was done to assess me for preeclampsia. one midwife said I was a low risk but preeclampsia doesn't care if you are low-risk “

“The amount of betrayal you feel from your own body when you develop preeclampsia and have to deliver your childearly is gruesome.”

4) Mothers who work closely with their doctors have better pregnancy outcomes.
User journey mapping
The user journey map is focused on a woman suffering from preeclampsia during pregnancy. The map highlights the specific pain points and challenges that the woman experiences throughout her pregnancy, such as physical discomfort, emotional distress, and uncertainty about her health and the health of her baby. By identifying these pain points, the map also identifies potential areas of opportunity for improving the experience for pregnant women with preeclampsia, such as better communication and support from healthcare providers, or more effective treatment options. Overall, the user journey map provides a detailed understanding of the challenges and needs of women with preeclampsia during pregnancy, which can inform the development of new products or services to improve their experience.
Design opportunities

1) Allow users to monitor with a variety of methods as preeclampsia shows symptoms beyond just blood pressure.

2) Build on the existing functions of blood pressure cuffs to tailor better to preeclampsia symptoms.

3) Encourage earlier monitoring to mitigate the harms of preeclampsia, no matter the user's risk.

4) Help users stay connected with doctors throughout the pregnancy.

Structure of the app
In the beginning stages of designing the app, the focus was on creating a solid structure that would effectively organize and present the various monitoring methods that the app would offer. The structure was designed to include different monitoring methods such as supine pressor, weight, and blood pressure monitoring. Additionally, a separate feature was added to allow users to communicate with their healthcare team. This feature would allow users to easily reach out to their healthcare team with any questions or concerns they may have regarding their health, and receive immediate feedback and guidance. Overall, the structure of the app was designed to provide users with a comprehensive and user-friendly experience.
Once the structure of the blood pressure cuff had been developed, the next step was to focus on the hardware aspect of the design. The aim was to create a device that could connect seamlessly to a mobile app, making it easy for users to monitor their blood pressure readings on the go. In order to achieve this, several design principles were taken into consideration, including simplicity of use, multifunctionality, and portability. The goal was to create a blood pressure cuff that was easy to use, had multiple functions, and was easy to carry around, making it a convenient and practical device for users to use.
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A snapshot of three suggestions we made to the UInclude team for their application of color: 1. Use only one color per category rather than showing masculine, feminine, and superlative words as separate colors. Show Gender bias as one color only. 2. Remove the green underline for flagging inclusive words. This was confusing in beta testing, and only adds to the cognitive load on the screen. 3. Show the inclusion score wheel as black and white. Adding color here competes with the colors used in highlighting biased words...and thus adds more confusion.
We also suggested the above revisions to the UInclude color strategy:
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• Integrating the 7 new colors into the biased word highlights.
• Removing the green underline that indicates inclusive language (this was confusing according to many beta testers of the tool).
• Revising the Inclusion Score wheel to a black and white design so as not to conflict with the colors used in flagging words in the text editor.
Blood pressure cuff design
Inspired by the form of existing cuffs, Nuora's design supports features beyond blood pressure monitoring, addressing preeclampsia-specific concerns.
Initial Concepts and sketches of the blood pressure cuff
The process of designing the Blood pressure cuff and accelerometer begins by sketching out different ways the blood pressure could be monitored for example bp could be monitored in the wrist too but the upper band gives better results than a wrist cuff. Other ideas included a smartwatch which could track the movement through the day etc
Initial Concepts and sketches of the blood pressure cuff
The final design and components of the blood pressure ,accelerometer is detachable
The final design of the blood pressure cuff
Low-Fidelity Prototype
A low-fidelity prototype was created to conduct usability testing. I tested and collected feedback from 3 individuals.some of the feedback from the low fidelity prototype which can be improved
High-Fidelity Prototype
Since I believed there should be an image of trust behind the product, the final High fidelity prototype was built, using the colour blue as the major theme. The high fidelity was similarly done to every screen. To keep the design consistent across the screens I created a design style guide based on which the designs were developed.
Challenges and takeaways

Because Rora stores medical data, it must protect the user data and ensure it is used ethically. also, to obtain a high user
acquisition, it should be implemented into an existing telemedicine system to gain the trust of the patient and doctors and to better organize and share records.

Possibilities

Rora can make healthcare more convenient, cost-effective and safe, especially during the pandemic. Also due to its
simple components and self-monitoring capabilities, it has the potential to become accessible to mothers in remote or
developing areas.

Next Steps

Task success rate

Because the SP test is fairly unfamiliar to users, is the ability to complete
the test?
Are the users able to record their weight and blood pressure?

Task completion time

To message their doctors after a risk has been detected?
To Message their doctor after an abnormal measurement is recorded.

User acquisition

How many users, especially those without known risks, are monitoring
their health and making efforts to maintain healthy blood pressure?

User retention

How often do users take the SP test?
How often do users track their sleep and blood pressure?

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