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Caresync is a digital healthcare system to combat the social isolation epidemic amongst seniors at its root.

Timeline

April - August 2023

My Role

UX Researcher

UX Designer

Project Manager

Service Designer

Client

Oak St Health

Art Center College

Addy Fu

Amy Kim

Vanessa Huang

Team

Overview

Project Brief

In response to the U.S. Surgeon General’s advisory on the “Loneliness Epidemic,” this project aims to gain insights on how healthcare providers, senior care providers, volunteers, as well as regional, city, state, and federal entities, currently experience and attempt to identify, mitigate, and implement solutions to improve the experience of social disconnection for vulnerable seniors in collaboration with Oak St. Health, Aetna, and CVS.

My Role

As the lead researcher, designer, and project manager, I shaped the project from problem to solution. I planned and conducted stakeholder and user interviews, synthesized insights into actionable frameworks, and translated findings into design strategies. Managing timelines and collaboration, I ensured alignment across research, ideation, and delivery.

How might we help seniors overcome

social isolation and loneliness?

How might we help seniors overcome

social isolation and loneliness?

just here for the ui? →

Research

Preliminary Research

We started off with desktop research online where we really wanted to learn more about loneliness and how it effects people as they age. The term "loneliness" is very broad and so many factors can effect a senior and how lonely they are. So, through our research we wanted to better understand the factors and the statistics.

Loneliness and social isolation increase the risk of premature death by 26%.

Depression and loneliness are not the same thing.

Loneliness causes an increase risk for dementia.

29% increase of heart risk, 32% increase of stroke.

43% seniors felt lonely, yet only 18% lived alone.

Stakeholder Interviews

We also interviewed health care professionals from CVS pharmacy, Oak St. Health, and Aetna who worked alongside seniors in their day to day lives. Through these interviews we were able to better understand not only health care models but also about how there are so many other factors that determine the care seniors recieve as they age and how much access seniors actually have to these resources that could help with their loneliness.

Problem Space

Problem Statement

Currently, many seniors in the US can experience feelings from social disconnectedness, isolation and loneliness to mental health issues in their day-to-day lives. Currently, many seniors in the US can experience feelings from social disconnectedness, isolation and loneliness to mental health issues in their day-to-day lives. These feelings of social isolation can negatively impact the quality of their senior years including affecting physical and mental health.

Research Methodology

Strategy Blueprint

To progress our understanding further we developed a strategy blueprint where we identified our key users as well as what we wanted our design outcomes to be. We also researched into existing health care models as well as how doctor offices were identifying loneliness in seniors currently.

To develop our archetypes we approached them with determining ADLs which were basically how we classified the different skill levels (functioning capabilities of seniors) as well as creating behavioral continuums which was how we grouped and created the archetypes to create categories of what we were looking for.

Define ADLS

Behavioral Continuums

We then placed the metrics on a series of continuums to identify patterns that can indicate someone who is vulnerable to social isolation.

We actually created about 50 continuums, and the physician was used by physician we worked with in her thesis.

Christiana Shoushtari (MD MPH, provider and Fellow for Valuebased Health Care Leadership Program at Oak Street Health)- "Addressing Loneliness at Oak Street Health: A Proposed Pilot Intervention".

We then placed the metrics on a series of continuums to identify patterns that can indicate someone who is vulnerable to social isolation.

We actually created about 50 continuums, and the physician was used by physician we worked with in her thesis.

Christiana Shoushtari (MD MPH, provider and Fellow for Valuebased Health Care Leadership Program at Oak Street Health)- "Addressing Loneliness at Oak Street Health: A Proposed Pilot Intervention".

Archetype Personas

We developed 5 archetypes and the one

we ultimately decided to design for was the dependent senior and their caretaker.

We developed 5 archetypes and the one

we ultimately decided to design for was the dependent senior and their caretaker.

Child + Teen

The Independent Senior

Completely able to function independently and has an active lifestyle.

The In Care Senior

Lives in care facility is not capable of taking care of themself at all.

The At Risk Senior

Lives in low income neighborhood and is in part of a marginalized community.

Low ADL

The Senior Caregiver

Takes care of their spouse and is the main financial earner.

The Dependent Senior

Fully dependent on spouse, low-mid level capability to function and take care of self.

Through our research, interviews, personas we were able to identify some main problems that we believed were important to influence our design.

Problem + Solution

Problems

Loneliness often isn't reported or identified.

Solution groups exist, but aren't used.

Loneliness is subjective and different for everyone.

Doctors don't know about all available resources.

Solutions

Train more employees in healthcare who interface with patients to recognize and loneliness and create better pipelines to access mental health resources.

Attach a database of existing resources such as community organizations and programs that help with social isolation to existing EMS. This database will filter resources to help healthcare and social workers easily find healthy environments that socially isolated elders can engage in

Solution Methodology

Service Blueprint

To help create our entire system design we created a stakeholder map and service blueprint that helped us create a whole system for multiple stakeholders and the whole journey of our service from both the front end but as well as the back end.

Stakeholder Map

This map paints a clear picture of how different parties impact a senior’s life. Each line presents a possible lead where our solution can be implemented. It also informs us on what community resources are most important to pursue when developing our final solution.

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Design

Physician Office Portal

For the physician office's use to help them match seniors to organizations as well as develop the care plan that the seniors need.

Key Features

Integration into Electronic Medical Record Systems

Optimized Patient Privacy

Easy doctor office communication lines.

Simplified patient scheduling.

How Match Works

1. Doctor sees list of best matched organizations.

2. Share organization options with the senior.

3. Team sign off and read the care teams notes.

4. Automatic contact the selected organizations.

Caresync Mobile

The Senior's access to the app is easy to use with simple features the solely only show what is going on in the moment as not to confuse them. The Caretaker's access to the app is designed for the caretaker to be able to keep track of the seniors where-abouts as well as the senior's schedule. They can also share the seniors day alongside other family members as well.

Key Takeaways

Through this project, I really enjoyed applying research methodologies like strategy blueprints, behavioral continuums, and service blueprints to inform and inspire design features. It was especially meaningful to design for a vulnerable, underserved population and see how design can be a force for good in addressing real-life challenges.

As both project manager and designer, it was exciting to bring together different skill sets of research, strategy, and design and to shape a solution that felt purposeful and impactful. Seeing it all come together in the end was incredibly rewarding.

designing with empathy, passion, and purpose