Pain Journal App

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Generative Research Site Map &
Introduction
Research Synthesis User Flow

brin

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Wireframe Usability High-Fidelity
Prototype Next Steps
Prototypes Testing
 Introduction
✓ Identify current methods of pain-tracking utilized by
patients
✓ Understand pain points associated with current
methods
✓ Define a solution to improve the patient’s experience
tracking their pain
✓ Test the solution with end users (both patients and
physicians)
✓ Refine the solution based on feedback from end users

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Background Healthcare Research
Understanding User Needs
Shift Priorities towards Patient-Centered Care
▪ Embrace patient-centered care for personalized and compassionate pain
management
Build Meaningful Connections
▪ Minimize patient's pain, fear, anxiety and suffering
▪ Establish channels for patient storytelling to build trust with their physician
Empathy Leads to Improved Adherence and Outcomes
▪ Enhance medication adherence and improve pain management
▪ Expedite diagnoses through the utilization of remote medicine
Comprehensive Delivery of Care
▪ Emphasize essential aspects such as nutrition, sleep management, and effective pain
control methods
▪ Encourage open communication and collaborative decision-making for pain
management with patients, families, and healthcare teams
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Generative Research

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 1 2 3
Market Research
& Competitive
Analysis
1. mySymptoms
• Analyzes patterns in frequency and intensity, and
shows correlation between nutrition and the patient’s symptoms
• Shareable with doctor
2. Wave
• Discovers patterns of patient data and explains those correlations
• Shareable with doctor
3. Bearable
4 5
• Option to hide triggering factors for some users, such as hiding the
nutrition tracking for patients with eating disorders
• Patients can utilize their preferred terms for symptoms and
factors, including the use of emojis
4. Branch
• A reimbursable service by several commercial insurance providers
• Offers pain and medication tracking, mindfulness tips and
physical therapy, community support, educational resources
5. Health Storylines
• Patient autonomy with data transparency 6
Initial User Research

• 7 interviews conducted with patients and doctors

• Several unique factors associated with pain to track
• Consistency is key
• Both patients and physicians desire communication
• App needs to be simplistic and feel familiar
• Leverage the familiarity of the doctor's office pain chart
• Helpful to visualize any correlations between tracked factors and pain
• Design should be inclusive of a wide range of users to ensure needs are met

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Problem Statement
✓ Current Challenge: patients do not have an easily accessible method to track
their pain
✓ Concern: when they are in pain, it is difficult for patients to think and find a
writing utensil and paper; and forgetting crucial aspects when trying to
record information later is common
✓ Solution: app that is easily accessible on a mobile device and provides a
pain-tracking experience that requires low cognitive load while the patient is
in pain

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Research Synthesis

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 Amy's Prospective Journey Map: Key Takeaways
1. Experience 2. Gather 3. Plan 4. Build 5. Clarify

• Amy is not able to • Has limited • Begins to track • Understands the • Overall, she finds
resolve her pain choices for care. pain with the app impact of her app that she has
on her own. • Collects more • Looks forward to journaling on improved her
• Unable to manage information for reliable data finding health health with the
pain with current informed tracking for trends and remote solution.
methods decisions improved pain exploring
management. effective
treatment.

A. Steps C. Doing E. Pain Points

B. Thinking D. Feeling F. Opportunities

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text

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Site Map & User Flow

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 Site Map for
Wireframe Prototype Version 1
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Site Map for High-Fidelity
Prototype Version 2

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 User Flow for Wireframe Prototype Version 1 - A and B

User Flow A User Flow B

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 User Flow for High-Fidelity Prototype Version 2

Updated Login User Flow Updated Main User Flow

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 Wireframe Prototype (V1)
& Usability Interview Testing

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Initial Set Up: Prototype A/B

• Other factors:
• Other factors: o Pain Type
o Pain Type o Pain Duration
o Pain Duration o How Pain Subsides
o How Pain • Consider Additional Pain
Subsides Management Factors
o Sleep
o Medications*
o Emotional State
o Food Intake
o Exercise
o Alternative Medicine
• Conditions your
doctor should be aware
of*

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Regular Tracking: Prototype A/B
Asking to track:
• Pain Level
• Pain Type
Asking to track: • Pain Duration
• Pain Level • How Pain Subsides
• Pain Type • Sleep
• Pain Duration • Medications
• How Pain Subsides • Emotions
• Confirm Report Sent to • Foods
doctor on X date • Exercise
• Alternative Medicine
• Confirm Report Sent to
doctor on X date

V1 Prototype A V1 Prototype B 22
Usability Interview Testing with
Prototypes A & B
1. Who were the 10 participants?
o 3 women/7 men
o 3 doctors/7 patients
o 7 have personal experience with health management apps (exercise, diet, medication,
sleep)
2. Test sessions: conducted December 3rd – 9th, 2023 both in person and over
Zoom
3. A & B Wireframe Prototype versions tested; in each version, participants were
asked to consider the initial app setup and the routine experience of tracking
pain. They were also asked to review the Settings and Analysis areas.

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Insights from Testing: Things to Change

1. Simplify the Experience: It is too much information to give users the option to
select to track additional factors in the initial setup. These factors need to be easily
findable after the initial setup. Only give people the information they need when they
need it.
2. Improve Interaction with Doctors: Need a better way to facilitate connection
between patients and their doctors without requiring a doctor's email.
3. Clarify Terms: Need to clarify the meanings of "Customize what you track", Settings,
Pain Chart, Analysis.
4. Add Progress Confirmation: Provide more feedback of progress: Skip/Next,
Confirmation of completion.
5. Show Users Data and Celebrate Accomplishments: Provide clear graphs of
information, ability to set goals & see progress.

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High-Fidelity Prototype (V2)

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Dashboard Updates

V1 V2

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Settings and View What You Track

V1

V2
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 Initial Set Up: Body Location Picker

V1 V2
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Interactions with Doctors

V1: Initial Set Up V1: Regular Tracking

V2: Initial Set Up 29
Analysis Becomes Highlights

V1 V2 30
 Next Steps

1. More Usability Testing

2. Enhancing Visual Design
3. Developing Information Architecture
4. Revising and Validating Prototypes

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Appendix

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Initial User Research

1. User/Patient's Pain Tracking

2. Reliable Pain Monitoring Data
3. Patient to Doctor Communication
4. Navigational Simplicity and User-Centered Design
5. Accessible Data Pathways
6. Universal Design

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 Usability Testing Results
Scenario 1, Task 1.1: Initial Setup
o 1 of 10 users wanted the option to select a specific location
o 1 of 10 participants stated they wanted to see the Latin term
o Terms to advance: 3 participants said Next, 2 said Skip, 1
said Continue, and the remaining participants had no
preference
Scenario 1, Task 1.2: Adjust Tracking Factors
o “Pain Type” definition: 2 participants said medical condition
associated with the pain, 5 stated pain severity level, 1 said a
description of their pain, and 2 were unsure
o 5 participants desired to have their data sent to their
physician on a specified day of the week
o All 3 physicians preferred the data to be sent via email
Scenario 2: Routine Pain Tracking
o Time blocks to indicate length of pain episode, 3
participants suggested shorter blocks of time
o 6 of 10 stated they would prefer receiving reminders of when
their data will be sent to their doctor
o If they were to click “Add Your Own” when entering pain
factors into the app, 9 participants stated they expect to see
an entry field with a keyboard
Scenario 1, Task 1.1: Initial Setup (Prototype B: Added
Account Information)
o All 4 participants who tested prototype B thought it was clear
how to search for their medications and medical
conditions in the app
o 1 mentioned this seemed unnecessary since their physician
should already have this information about them
Scenario 2: Routine Pain Tracking (Prototype B: Added
Factors to Track)
o All 4 participants stated they prefer to have the option to use
voice-to-text when entering their data
o 1 participant thought the alternative medicine question was
sufficient, 1 stated the question needs to clarify what the
term “alternative” means, 2 thought the question was
unnecessary
Scenario 3: Settings Workflow
o 9 of 10 stated they would click on “Customize what
you Track” to add additional pain tracking factors
o 3 participants stated they would go into Preferences to view
a summary of what they are tracking, 1 asked if it was the
home button, 1 questioned if it was View Analysis, 1 said they
would go into Customize what you Track, 2 said they would
go into Your Pain Journal, and 2 were unsure
Scenario 4: Data Analytics Workflow
o 8 participants explained they want to see charts of the data,
whether it is a line graph, bar graph, or pie chart 34