PROJECT overview
• Task
Medical personnel currently face challenges in efficiently monitoring and managing patients, especially those with chronic conditions, due to the complexities that arise form periodic check-ups.
• Solution
VoiceCast is an AI-Based medical assistant that enhances visits and allows medics to push the boundaries of clinical notes taking and medical record elaboration and analysis.
• Tools
Design thinking, literature review, user research, user journeys, wireframing, prototyping, testing.
10
Final User
interviews
30
Case studies analyzed
450
Pages of
Articles read
30
A FEW NUMBERS
10
Final User
interviews
30
Case studies analyzed
450
Pages of
Articles read
30
context
how CAN AI HELP WITH the daily activities of medical personnel?
Artificial intelligence is increasingly entering our daily lives and conquering new sectors. Among these, AI in the healthcare sector is considered to have very high potential for a variety of applications.
Based on this knowledge, the brief for this project was born: "a pharmaceutical company wants to create a tool that simplifies the daily work of the doctor and increases his exposure to the drugs of this manufacturer".
DESIGN PROCESS
THE DEFINITION OF THE PHASES OF DESIGN.
Explore: the reseach phase of the project. It focused mainly on desk research and understaing where AI can be applied in healthcare.
Ideation: this phase started with the field research from talking to users through interviews to the development of the journey maps and the concept.
Delivery: it focussed on the development of the concept, defining the information architecture, the experience, the devices and the visuals both for mobile and desktop.
DESK RESEARCH: Technology
a deep dive into augemented reality for the tourism industry.
To kick-off the project a literature review has been conducted to frame AI technology, its adoption, its status, its use cases and its patents.
The process led to the review of some of the most notorious applications in this field but also to the analysis of the target and the shaping of the potential user.
KEY FINDINGS
• Adoption
The adoption of AI has grown significantly over the years, OpenAI with ChatGPT pushed the standard further and has shaken incumbents to move forward in the development of LLMs.
• Maturity
Based on Gartner's Hype Cycle, Generative AI is at the Peak of Inflated Expectation. This technology will probably reach maturity in the next two to five years.
• Healthcare industry
In the E-Health industry, Generative AI (and AI in general) is getting a lot of attention. Applications vary from pharmaceutical R&D to Image Recognition in different medical branches.
10
Final User
interviews
30
Case studies analyzed
450
Pages of
Articles read
30
The patent analysis of AI in the healthcare industry conducted showed a huge increase in the number of patents during the last three years.
The total number of patents has exceeded 85.000 and it won't cease to grow in the next years, proving AI has many opportunities in the healthcare industry.
To further research AI technology in healthcare, an overview of different AI-based applications has been conducted. The research was split into three main categories of apps: AI-Based Medical Apps, Non AI-Based Medical Apps, and Successful AI-Based Apps.
The goal was to understand the main use cases of AI in healthcare and how it compared to traditional solutions and successful AI-based solutions such as ChatGPT.
DESK RESEARCH: TECHNOLOGY
THE CASE OF ITALY.
To gain more insights into the state of AR in the tourism industry, a benchmark of comparables and competitors has been conducted.
Each case study has been analyzed based on 15 parameters, ranging from the number of functionalities and downloads. This research part ended with the exploration of the interface and functions for each application.
Adoption barriers
• Environment
The Italian Healthcare industry is facing significant discrepancies between the north and center-south of Italy in terms of technology adoption and shared EHR diffusion.
• Databases
The lack of shared EHRs makes it complex to create rich databases of anonymous data, also the GDPR has strict rules regarding sanitary data, making AI complex to manage.
• Culture
There are cultural biases related to resistance to change on the part of health personnel, who may perceive the impacts of AI on work processes and organisation in a negative way.
10
Final User
interviews
30
Case studies analyzed
450
Pages of
Articles read
30
ADoption prospects
• Opportunities
Many stakeholders in the healthcare sector see great opportunities in Artificial Intelligence , especially in personalised medicine and process automation.
• Personalization
Personalisation of treatments is the main potential that stakeholders expect from AI: for healthcare providers and life science companies this is very important.
• Automation
Automation sought both in terms of supporting physicians in clinical activities and decision-making, and in health and administrative back office processes.
10
Final User
interviews
30
Case studies analyzed
450
Pages of
Articles read
30
DESK RESEARCH: BENCHMARK
A DEEP DIVE INTO WHAT'S ALREADY HERE.
To guide the future design processes, an extensive analysis of possible competitors and comparables has been conducted.
The analysis focussed on the features offered by the competitors and on the experience of the comparable. In both cases, the metrics used were mostly qualitative and composed of 21 parameters.
DESK RESEARCH:
STAKEHOLDERS' MATRIX
10
Final User
interviews
30
Case studies analyzed
450
Pages of
Articles read
30
DESK RESEARCH: whO'S THE user?
what are the possible needs of the target?
During the second step of the desk research, the focus shifted to the users. The goal was to frame the user to understand more clearly the scope of the interviews that will follow.
To get a better idea of how to structure the user interviews a series of proto-needs and ideals has been defined. These proto needs, later debunked for the most part, set an initial direction that help the research significantly.
USERS: General PractitionerS
AS the core users of voicecast
Based on the interviews conducted, it emerged that the general practitioner was the ideal target group.
Very often this figure has great needs to lighten certain aspects of his or her daily work, mainly related to inefficiencies in communication with patients and specialised doctors but also concerning the acquisition of patient data.
The last need in particular, can be very laborious and time-consuming, often for bureaucratic reasons, which make up most of this figure's working day.
field RESEARCH: user INTERVIEWS
FROM PROTO-NEEDS TO PERSONAS.
As soon as the desk research phase ended, user interviews began with the scope of confirming the hypothesis obtained from the earlier findings and identifying new layers of needs and pain points.
The interviews revolved around 13 people of which 6 were general practitioners, 2 were physician specialists, 1 was a researcher, 1 was a scientific informant and 3 were patients. The approach used was a semi-structured one.
KEY FINDINGS — PAINS
• Daily Inefficiencies
Very often the general practitioner finds herself having to sort out bureaucratic complexities that unnecessarily slow down his daily work.
• Drug updates
Checking for drug interactions, new molecules, new use cases can be a very frustrating and slow process, but it is practically a must.
• Data acquisition & transmission
Due to the lack of a proper Italian database (which is slowly being built), transmitting reports and EHRs is a big problem that leads to the lengthening of the time-to-therapy.
• PROTO-NEEDS
These tourists consider the traditional travel as boring, structured and heavily guided. They are looking for authentic experiences.
• IDEALS
They believe tourism should be authentic, for some it must be sustainable for the environment and the local communities.
• SEGMENTATION
The segment is wide, this kind of tourist can't be represented by a specific age segment the target may also be represented by a causal tourist.
KEY FINDINGS — NEEDS
• Diagnoses & Therapy
As support services that improve the speed of physician work and access to relevant information.
• Drug updates
Need to always be informed about the latest solutions in one's practice to promote new therapies and ensure patient safety.
• Integration with EHR
Now central to the physician's practice, they are indispensable software used by virtually every physician and very difficult to replace.
personas
Defined as five archetypes
With the information gathered from the interviews, it was possible to construct the personas.
The clustering of the pain points and needs identified in the interviews allowed the construction of five archetypes that constituted the personas.
Each of these personas refers to a varied typology of doctor, dependent not only on information such as age but above all on the way they work, the instruments they use and the place where they operate.
personas — andrea
the innovative one
• General Practitioner
• 34 years old
• Resident in Milan
"I think AI will be the biggest innovation in my industry, after the internet connection."
• Context
Works in a private practice as a general practitioner.
Very busy and overworked subject.
• Goals
He wants to be more and more effective in his therapies to
ensure maximum patient satisfaction.
• Pain Points
He thinks that there are many inefficiencies in the daily work of a the doctor. He often does not have time to be to listen to the scientific informants.
• PA
These tourists consider the traditional travel as boring, structured and heavily guided. They are looking for authentic experiences.
• PA
They believe tourism should be authentic, for some it must be sustainable for the environment and the local communities.
• PA
The segment is wide, this kind of tourist can't be represented by a specific age segment the target may also be represented by a causal tourist.
• PROTO-NEEDS
These tourists consider the traditional travel as boring, structured and heavily guided. They are looking for authentic experiences.
• IDEALS
They believe tourism should be authentic, for some it must be sustainable for the environment and the local communities.
• SEGMENTATION
The segment is wide, this kind of tourist can't be represented by a specific age segment the target may also be represented by a causal tourist.
personas — MartA
the traditionalist one
• General Practitioner
• 39 years old
• Resident in Turin
"I honestly don't trust all these new technologies and I don't see so many opportunities."
• Context
Works in is own studio as a general practitioner. Busy subject, often works a few hours too many.
• Goals
She wants to maintain effectiveness in her therapies to ensure maximum patient satisfaction by adopting a more empathetic approach.
• Pain Points
It's hard for Marta to adopt advanced technologies due to her preference for a more traditional approach.
• PA
These tourists consider the traditional travel as boring, structured and heavily guided. They are looking for authentic experiences.
• PA
They believe tourism should be authentic, for some it must be sustainable for the environment and the local communities.
• PA
The segment is wide, this kind of tourist can't be represented by a specific age segment the target may also be represented by a causal tourist.
• PROTO-NEEDS
These tourists consider the traditional travel as boring, structured and heavily guided. They are looking for authentic experiences.
• IDEALS
They believe tourism should be authentic, for some it must be sustainable for the environment and the local communities.
• SEGMENTATION
The segment is wide, this kind of tourist can't be represented by a specific age segment the target may also be represented by a causal tourist.
10
Final User
interviews
30
Case studies analyzed
450
Pages of
Articles read
30
personas — claudio
the busy one
• General Practitioner
• 56 years old
• Resident in Rome
"I love my job, but I would like to significantly optimise the bureaucratic part to be able to manage my patients better."
• Context
He works in a shared practice as a general practitioner. He has a great reputation as a doctor and is constantly flooded with requests.
• Goals
By now an established physician, he would just like to simplify his work from all those time-wasting activities.
• Pain Points
He believes that the bureaucratic slows down his work and efficiency. He has little time to listen to his patients, let alone other subjects.
• PA
These tourists consider the traditional travel as boring, structured and heavily guided. They are looking for authentic experiences.
• PA
They believe tourism should be authentic, for some it must be sustainable for the environment and the local communities.
• PA
The segment is wide, this kind of tourist can't be represented by a specific age segment the target may also be represented by a causal tourist.
• PROTO-NEEDS
These tourists consider the traditional travel as boring, structured and heavily guided. They are looking for authentic experiences.
• IDEALS
They believe tourism should be authentic, for some it must be sustainable for the environment and the local communities.
• SEGMENTATION
The segment is wide, this kind of tourist can't be represented by a specific age segment the target may also be represented by a causal tourist.
personas — teresa
the technological one
• General Practitioner
• 29 years old
• Resident in Bologna
"I see AI as an incredible opportunity, although I am aware of the risks it can bring."
• Context
She has just started her medical career and is constantly looking for new technological solutions to improve her work.
• Goals
She wishes to integrate AI into her work. Having just completed his studies, she has the necessary skills to use it to the fullest within her professional context.
• Pain Points
Not having much experience, she prefers not to expose herself too much to new therapies, sometimes wasting a lot of time to inquire about new drugs.
• PA
These tourists consider the traditional travel as boring, structured and heavily guided. They are looking for authentic experiences.
• PA
They believe tourism should be authentic, for some it must be sustainable for the environment and the local communities.
• PA
The segment is wide, this kind of tourist can't be represented by a specific age segment the target may also be represented by a causal tourist.
• PROTO-NEEDS
These tourists consider the traditional travel as boring, structured and heavily guided. They are looking for authentic experiences.
• IDEALS
They believe tourism should be authentic, for some it must be sustainable for the environment and the local communities.
• SEGMENTATION
The segment is wide, this kind of tourist can't be represented by a specific age segment the target may also be represented by a causal tourist.
10
Final User
interviews
30
Case studies analyzed
450
Pages of
Articles read
30
personas — antonio
the luminary one
• Specialist physician
• 60 years old
• Resident in Verona
"This career has given me everything, but I know I still have a lot to offer."
• Context
He operates in his private practice as a medical specialist. He is considered one of the best in the world in his field, thanks also his work as a researcher.
• Goals
He believes deeply in his work as a tool to help improve our society even if age is beginning to take its toll.
• Pain Points
He feels the lack of a tool to simplify the information processing process, reducing the workload and improving accuracy in his diagnoses.
• PA
These tourists consider the traditional travel as boring, structured and heavily guided. They are looking for authentic experiences.
• PA
They believe tourism should be authentic, for some it must be sustainable for the environment and the local communities.
• PA
The segment is wide, this kind of tourist can't be represented by a specific age segment the target may also be represented by a causal tourist.
• PROTO-NEEDS
These tourists consider the traditional travel as boring, structured and heavily guided. They are looking for authentic experiences.
• IDEALS
They believe tourism should be authentic, for some it must be sustainable for the environment and the local communities.
• SEGMENTATION
The segment is wide, this kind of tourist can't be represented by a specific age segment the target may also be represented by a causal tourist.
10
Final User
interviews
30
Case studies analyzed
450
Pages of
Articles read
30
field RESEARCH: EHR SOFTWARE TESTING
THE CORE TOOL FOR EVERY PRACTITIONER.
As a result of the interviews, it was confirmed that the EHR software was a crucial tool for the doctor's work and now indispensable.
It was necessary to understand how to intervene to support this system that had become irreplaceable, and so the most widely used EHR in Italy was tested by browsing functions, building health records and prescribing therapies and drugs.
USER journey map — medic
BEFORE, during AND AFTER the MEDICAL EXAMINATION
To conclude the research phase, two journey maps of the medical examination were produced. Each of these was organised according to four charts: the general map, the mood map, the emotion map and the device map.
The first journey map is that of the general practitioner and starts with the digital contact with the patient, up to the filing of the medical record or transmission to the specialist.
USER journey map — patient
BEFORE, during AND AFTER the MEDICAL EXAMINATION
To conclude the research phase, two journey maps of the medical examination were produced. Each of these was organised according to four charts: the general map, the mood map, the emotion map and the device map.
The second journey map is that of the patient and starts with the digital contact with the general practitioner, up to the diagnosis and eventual treatment.
SHAPING THE CONCEPT
LACK OF COMMUNICATION & INFORMATIONS
From the construction of the Journey maps it emerged that there are three main negative moments during the medical examination and they concern three similar topics: communication with the patient, the acquisition of the patient's information during the examination and the transmission of information to the specialist.
Based on these notions, VoiceCast was developed: it is an AI-based assistant that allows the physician to acquire and manipulate medical information at a fraction of the time, increasing the quality and quantity of information for each patient.
optimizing ai:
IS A CHATBOT THE RIGHT INTERFACE?
A key point of this project was to understand what the value of artificial intelligence could be during the medical examination.
The key use of artificial intelligence in VoiceCast is linked to a speech-to-text interface that will transcribe the entire conversation between patient and doctor using the mobile device and allow text processing on the desktop via specific prompts called snippets.
The chatbot structure proved to be ineffective here, as it was too slow and inconvenient, and was as a support function both for mobile and desktop.
INFORMATION ARCHITECTURE —
MOBILE
tHE SMARTPHONE AS THE INPUT
The mobile information architecture centres around the transcription function of the medical examination with a patient.
To support this key function, a GPT is provided to support any questions the doctor may have.
The tab bar consists of three sections (home, examinations and patient) and an action bar from which to obtain reports, recall the GPT or start a new session from anywhere in the app.
INFORMATION ARCHITECTURE —
DESKTOP
THE DESKTOP AS THE OUTPUT
The dekstop will be the tool to process the output obtained from the mobile: it is a webapp that will allow the doctor to extract all the necessary information from the documents and transcripts of medical examinations saved on the mobile.
The extraction of information will mainly take place through a system of prompts called 'snippets' that will allow specific information to be obtained from each transcript and report.
The desktop application will also function as a complementary repository to the EHR software and will allow the import and export of documents between the two tools.
ui DESIGN — Mobile:
ONBOARDING
Get Started with voicecast
When first opened, the user must follow three steps to gain access: user registration, selection of the EHR software used by the user, and finally onboarding that will explain the key functions of the app. The last two steps will be optional.
ui DESIGN — Mobile:
HOME
Quick access to core functions
The mobile home is built with the logic of allowing quick access to creating a session with a patient via the start button in the center.
From this section it will also be possible to access the support GPT from whom to ask any kind of information about a patient, examination or referral.
Via the buttons at the top it will be able to access support and settings.
ui DESIGN — Mobile:
START SESSION
the primary tool to gather data
Once you press the middle button in the home, a new session will start.
Here Artificial Intelligence will play a crucial role because it will allow instant transcription of the conversation between patient and doctor and will be able to recognize examination stages such as a patient's medical history or physical examination.
During the conversation, it will also be possible to add a new report by scanning, photographing or uploading the document.
Once the session is over, it will be possible to change some basic information such as the patient's name or examination type.
ui DESIGN — mobile:
EXAMINATIONS
the archive of the past sessions
The examination section will allow quick access to the latest examinations in date order.
When opening an examnation it will be possible to read key patient information, the summary of the examination, and the full transcript.
ui DESIGN — mobile:
patients
a summarized archive to acccess crucial patient data
The patient section will allow quick viewing of key information about a particular patient such as basic data, past examinations, and uploaded reports.
It will also be possible to start a new session with a specific patient or add a new patient.
ui DESIGN — mobile:
RECORDS & SETTINGS
ADD MEDICAL RECORDS & CUSTOMIZE THE EXPERIENCE
The last two sections deal with report acquisition, accessible from the action menu within the tab bar, and settings accessible from the home via the button in the upper left corner.
ui DESIGN — desktop:
HOME
quick and easy access to all the data needed
The desktop is a webapp and its home has the function of a dashboard.
It allows the doctor to access the latest sessions or reports obtained from mobile, consult useful information such as statistics on her patients, access the GPT and consult new information on medicines and drugs.
ui DESIGN — desktop:
SNIPPET
handle the information based on your needs and necessities
The snippet is the key function with which information from medical examinations is processed via artificial intelligence.
In this section, it will be possible to manage these powerful tools by acquiring new snippets already loaded in the app or by creating customised snippets from scratch depending on the needs of each doctor.
ui DESIGN — desktop:
EXAMINATION
explore the past sessions, or start a new one
The examination section will provide access to all sessions transcribed with VoiceCast. By selecting an examination, it will be possible to access the transcription and processing of the data via snippets.
Each examination will always include three basic snippets: the summary of the examination, the complete reconstruction of the examination and the therapy and drugs suggestion snippet.
ui DESIGN — DESKTOP:
patients
the archive with all the information collected about a patient
Similar to the examinations section, the patients section will allow the management of each patient's data.
Each profile will be divided into three sections that will be updated through communication with the EHR software and the addition of new sessions or medical reports. Each profile will also be exportable to the EHR software.
ui DESIGN — DESKTOP:
medical records
the archive of all the medical records present in voicecast
The medical reports section, on the other hand, will function as an archive of reports.
When opening a report the user will be confronted with a division into three sections: AI-assisted report data, AI-based report summary and attached documentation.
ui DESIGN — DESKTOP:
Support
reach voicecast customer service
The support section will allow communication with VoiceCast support, first through the chatbot and then with an operator when needed.
ui DESIGN — mobile:
settings
OPTIMIZE YOUR EXPERIENCE
The settings section will allow you to change some key settings within the app such as the format in which to export medical records, but also dictation settings or audio recording devices used.
ui DESIGN — DESKTOP:
Account
Customize your preferences
The account section will allow you to change your profile settings such as account information and privacy preferences.
design system
focus on EASE OF USE AND READABILITY.
The design system was constructed with a minimalist logic that highlights the main actions using bright blue.
Accessibility plays the leading role in this design system: the fonts, colours and contrasts have been chosen with all those best practices defined in the WCAG in mind.
Why did i pick
this project?
This is by far the most complex project I worked on, the brief was very open and it required an unusual level of understanding of the topic in order to generate a valid result.
The output had to respect a very high standard to be actually used by a medic and many layers of regulatory compliance were involved, adding to the already intricate brief.
VoiceCast is a service for medical personnel that uses artificial intelligence to simplify the daily work of the physician and enhance the acquisition of patient data.
