Peer Connect
Application Adoption by Aging Population: Mobile Medical Tracker
A renowned orthopedic surgeon specializing in complex spinal diseases, was dedicated to providing effective treatments and empowering patients to make informed decisions about their health.
The Challenge
Dr. Mirza wanted to create an app to help older patients with knee and hip pain track their condition and make informed treatment decisions. However, his existing web-based, desktop-only test proved confusing and cumbersome for this demographic.
Image copyright by Dr. Manuel González Reyes
The Solution
My team and I redesigned the application as a mobile app with a focus on simplicity and ease of use. Key features include:
Focused on mobile-first experience.
Streamlined pain and function surveys with fewer questions.
Clearer presentation of results with custom data visualizations.
Inclusion of alternative treatment options.
Larger text size, high contrast, and a friendly interface.
Image copyright Image by rupert B.
My contribution
Leveraged the findings from my colleagues’ expert UX evaluation of the original application.
Designed and prototyped a new, mobile-friendly user experience with a UI library built on top of Google’s Material.io
Worked with developer
Conducted usability testing with a focus on the 65+ age group.
Oversaw the visual design to ensure clarity and approachability.
Dr. Sohail's Pain & Function Tracker app, showing the loading screen, clean and minimal introduction text, and the home screen.
Dr. Sohail's Pain & Function Tracker, shows a patient assessment, a comparison of physical function to others in their demographic, and a list of treatment alternatives to surgery.
Results
Following rigorous usability testing, the redesigned application garnered overwhelmingly positive feedback.
82.2% of users found the app very easy to use
91.8% had no trouble understanding the graphics and scores.
User feedback praised the app's ease of use, clean design, and helpful information.
“The app wasn’t hard to use, or to read and the look was very nice, neat, and had a good feel to it as well.” — remote usability test participant
“The app was clean, graphs were very legible and easy to read, and the app was easy to navigate.” — remote usability test participant
Conclusion & Learnings
This project demonstrates the importance of user-centered design, particularly when targeting older adults. By focusing on simplicity, progressive disclosure, and a mobile-first approach, we created a valuable tool to empower patients and improve healthcare communication. At the same time, the testing allowed us to question our assumptions regarding an older audience’s comfort level with new technology.