Ecomap

How might we enable cancer patient caregivers to create a reliable network of support, while caring for their patients. 

A considerable amount of literature regarding the care of cancer patients exists today. Many patients depend on primary caregivers however, research focused on caregivers is limited. A multi-disciplinary team of researchers, engineers and designers at the University of Utah are working to provide caregivers with a tool to find support while caring for their patient.

My interviews with caregivers, case managers, social workers and other stakeholders confirmed and revealed different types of support from previous research. When I asked caregivers how they typically found various types of support, many were accustomed to writing lists of people they could call, if they needed help with anything.

Social workers stated the importance of caregivers' personal well-being to minimize 'caregiver fatigue'; explaining many people neglect some of their own needs when caring for their patient. Case and floor managers wanted caregivers to have access to support as well as relevant contact information for each particular question or concern. 

Value evolution from caregiver feedback

The primary goal of this application is to help caregivers document who can assist them with their care. During our initial concept tests, we quickly realized caregivers wanted to find helpful resources. This led us to include a database of local supportive resources to help strengthen their support network. 

Many of our decisions were made as a result of user testing sessions. Caregivers' interactions were recorded while they used high fidelity prototypes. In addition to the recordings, we collected usability surveys to compare various concept results. 

These concepts steadily transitioned from abstract to more familiar visual languages. Given the diversity of our audience, we focused on using colors as a way-finding method to guide people that are new to the app.