Resume
5 Years Design Experience
Bobby Zhao
Product Designer
MindLink
MindLink
MindLink
Bridging communication gaps between caregivers and alzheimer's patients
Bridging communication gaps between caregivers and alzheimer's patients
Research Partner
Kailin Xu (Harvard School of Public Health)
Responsibilities
User Research,User Interview, UIUX
What
What
Caregiver-Alzheimer's Patient communication poses huge care burden and lead to missed opportunities throughout the course of dementia
Caregiver-Alzheimer's Patient communication poses huge care burden and lead to missed opportunities throughout the course of dementia
Why
Why
Patient Agitation
Patient Agitation
The WHO reports 4.5 billion people lack access to essential health services.
In individuals with dementia, the progressive decline in cognitive function severely impairs their ability to communicate effectively. This communication barrier not only leads to increased feelings of anxiety, depression, and loss of confidence but also manifests in the form of disruptive behaviors, including agitation and aggression.
In individuals with dementia, the progressive decline in cognitive function severely impairs their ability to communicate effectively. This communication barrier not only leads to increased feelings of anxiety, depression, and loss of confidence but also manifests in the form of disruptive behaviors, including agitation and aggression.
76% Prevalence of agitation in moderate-to-severe AD/dementia
76% Prevalence of agitation in moderate-to-severe AD/dementia
$6k Excess cost with each case of AD-associated agitation
$6k Excess cost with each case of AD-associated agitation
Caregiver Burden
Caregiver Burden
The WHO reports 4.5 billion people lack access to essential health services.
Unsuccessful communication and resultant agitation in dementia patients poses a significant challenge for caregivers. These behaviors, in turn, place a substantial emotional and physical strain on caregivers, contributing to high levels of stress and burnout.
Unsuccessful communication and resultant agitation in dementia patients poses a significant challenge for caregivers. These behaviors, in turn, place a substantial emotional and physical strain on caregivers, contributing to high levels of stress and burnout.
Research
Research
Pain Point
Mapping
Pain Point Mapping
We interviewed 20+ caregivers for elders with neurodegenerative diseases, and identified communication during ADLs (activities of daily lives) to be a huge pain point.
We interviewed 20+ caregivers for elders with neurodegenerative diseases, and identified communication during ADLs (activities of daily lives) to be a huge pain point.
Disease
Progression
Disease Progression
Disease Progression
Late Stage
Late Stage
Middle Stage
Middle Stage
Early Stage
Early Stage
Difficulty finding the right words
Using familiar words repeatedly
Difficulty finding the right words
Using familiar words repeatedly
Difficulty finding the right words
Using familiar words repeatedly
The use of speech that doesn't make sense
Describing familiar objects rather than calling them by nameEasily losing a train of thought
Difficulty organizing words logically
The use of speech that doesn't make sense
Easily losing a train of thought
Difficulty organizing words logically
Turnover rate for dementia home health aide, which is mostly due to exhaustion caused by clients’ disruptive behaviors
Turnover rate for dementia home health aide, which is mostly due to exhaustion caused by clients’ disruptive behaviors
Problem
Root
Cause
Problem Root Cause
We invited specialized caregivers and a public health professor to do the Five Whys exercise to identify the underlying causes of communication difficulties in dementia patients:
We invited specialized caregivers and a public health professor to do the Five Whys exercise to identify the underlying causes of communication difficulties in dementia patients:
The WHO reports 4.5 billion people lack access to essential health services.
Caregiver Journey
Caregiver Journey
Field research at a dementia care center offered many key insights:
Staff turnover rate is high (in-home and care home)
New caregivers take longer to learn the communication tricks documented below
Model caregivers who are familiar with patient backgrounds manage agitations better
Field research at a dementia care center offered many key insights:
Staff turnover rate is high (in-home and care home)
New caregivers take longer to learn the communication tricks documented below
Model caregivers who are familiar with patient backgrounds manage agitations better
The WHO reports 4.5 billion people lack access to essential health services.
Opportunity:
For caregivers, there is a need for real-time patient information access and communication knowledge guidance.
Opportunity:
For caregivers, there is a need for real-time patient information access and communication knowledge guidance.
Design
Design
Ideation
Blue Sky Ideation
We began product conceptualization with the brainstorming and affinity mapping of product feasibility and desirability goals.
Blue Sky Ideation
We began product conceptualization with the brainstorming and affinity mapping of product feasibility and desirability goals.
Value Drivers
We began product conceptualization with the brainstorming and affinity mapping of product feasibility and desirability goals.
Value Drivers
We began product conceptualization with the brainstorming and affinity mapping of product feasibility and desirability goals.
Features
Features
Communication
Enhancement
Communication
Enhancement
Sentence Completion & Suggestion
Sentence Completion & Suggestion
Emotion-to-Text Conversion
Emotion-to-Text Conversion
Caregiver Workflow Integration
Caregiver Workflow
Integration
Emotion Monitoring
Emotion Monitoring
Communication logs
Communication logs
Mental Health
Support
Mental Health
Support
Positive Reinforcement
Positive Reinforcement
Activity Suggestions
Activity Suggestions
Multi-Modal Data Interpretation
Multi-Modal
Data Interpretation
Voice Recognition
Voice Recognition
EHR Cross-Referencing
EHR Cross-Referencing
Backend
Product Vision
Product Vision
Design
Design
Design Guideline
Design Guideline
Onboarding
Setting up fundamental patient information can help MindLink develop empathy that generate prompts tailored to the patient’s needs.
Setting up fundamental patient information can help MindLink develop empathy that generate prompts tailored to the patient’s needs.
Dashboard
Patient data is dynamically updated based on daily interactions to increase personalization and help provide better approaches to comfort patients.
Patient data is dynamically updated based on daily interactions to increase personalization and help provide better approaches to comfort patients.
Recent activity:
provides caregivers with visibility of patient’s recent behaviors. This documentation allows different caregivers to keep track of patient’s symptoms to offer more conscientious care.
Recent activity:
provides caregivers with visibility of patient’s recent behaviors. This documentation allows different caregivers to keep track of patient’s symptoms to offer more conscientious care.
Recent activity:
provides caregivers with visibility of patient’s recent behaviors. This documentation allows different caregivers to keep track of patient’s symptoms to offer more conscientious care.
Daily Check-in
Enhances daily conversation through empathetic listening and contextual suggestions
Enhances daily conversation through empathetic listening and contextual suggestions
Emphathetic Listening:
The system transcribes and processes conversations in real time, building personalized patient engagement repertoire.
Emphathetic Listening:
The system transcribes and processes conversations in real time, building personalized patient engagement repertoire.
Emphathetic Listening:
The system transcribes and processes conversations in real time, building personalized patient engagement repertoire.
Real-time Engagement Suggestions:
Prior to interaction with the patient, the system provides a repertoire of engagement scenarios. This is especially helpful for inexperienced caregivers to initiate mentally stimulate the dementia patients.
Real-time Engagement Suggestions:
Prior to interaction with the patient, the system provides a repertoire of engagement scenarios. This is especially helpful for inexperienced caregivers to initiate mentally stimulate the dementia patients.
On-demand Inquiry
Real-time evaluation and adapting responses improve challenging behavior such as refusal
Real-time evaluation and adapting responses improve challenging behavior such as refusal
Progress Overview/Patient Management
AI-Enabled Patient Analysis:
System AI creates personalized recommendations based on empirical provided by the caregiver.
AI-Enabled Patient Analysis:
System AI creates personalized recommendations based on empirical provided by the caregiver.