Project name:
Electro | Interactive Product Duration: August to October 2017 at Division of Industrial Design (DID) Overview: Design an interactive display to empower medical students in efficient learning of the electrocardiogram (ECG); in collaboration with Keio-NUS CUTE Centre and Department of Anatomy, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine With Teresa Khoo and Ysanne Yeo Role: Ethnographic Research, User Tests, Conceptualisation, Rapid Prototypes Award: James Dyson 2019 National Runner Up |
Overview
This project in collaboration with Keio-NUS CUTE Centre and Department of Anatomy Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine was to design an interactive display to empower medical students which will be exhibited in NUS Anatomy Museum. Through several interactions with the NUS medical students and Professors, prototypes were designed to promote efficient learning of the electrocardiogram (ECG).
Background on Electrocardiogram (ECG)
Our group decided to focus on a common diagnostic test for heart, Electrocardiogram (ECG). In essence, blood supply to the heart muscle facilitates normal electrical conductivity, and these electrical impulses are picked up and printed by an ECG machine. Medical students are tasked to remember and identify the ECG.
Research Process & Observations
To better understand our various stakeholders - medical students and professors, our team spent the first few weeks in conducting closed interviews and shadowing with them. Interview questions were designed to gain better insights on the medical students' learning process of ECG and the common misconceptions of ECG that the professors identified in students.
Several prototypes were made to understand and observe the student's thought process at a deeper level.
This project in collaboration with Keio-NUS CUTE Centre and Department of Anatomy Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine was to design an interactive display to empower medical students which will be exhibited in NUS Anatomy Museum. Through several interactions with the NUS medical students and Professors, prototypes were designed to promote efficient learning of the electrocardiogram (ECG).
Background on Electrocardiogram (ECG)
Our group decided to focus on a common diagnostic test for heart, Electrocardiogram (ECG). In essence, blood supply to the heart muscle facilitates normal electrical conductivity, and these electrical impulses are picked up and printed by an ECG machine. Medical students are tasked to remember and identify the ECG.
Research Process & Observations
To better understand our various stakeholders - medical students and professors, our team spent the first few weeks in conducting closed interviews and shadowing with them. Interview questions were designed to gain better insights on the medical students' learning process of ECG and the common misconceptions of ECG that the professors identified in students.
Several prototypes were made to understand and observe the student's thought process at a deeper level.
Findings and Insights
Findings through observations and interviews:
These findings were then translated to insights and design opportunities our group can look into.
Insights:
Design Objectives:
Findings through observations and interviews:
- Students have trouble identifying ECG leads in relation to the respective heart walls.
- Insufficient exposure to ECG.
These findings were then translated to insights and design opportunities our group can look into.
Insights:
- Students memorise how the normal ECG looks but do not fully grasp the concept.
- The connection between the physiology of the heart and ECG is unclear with current study materials. Students have trouble visualising 2D data from ECG in terms of the 3D heart.
Design Objectives:
- To bridge ECG readings and the blood supply to the heart.
- To facilitate effective and efficient learning of the structure and diagnosis of the heart.
To design an interactive exhibit that strengthens students' structural understanding of the heart by creating connections through the interactive setup, hence deeper inscribing their learning to memory.
Idea: Electro
Electro is an interactive exhibit comprises of a physical heart model connected to a touch screen display. The visual representation of ECG strengthens the connections to a touch screen display. It aims to familiarise students by using multiple key features of Electro.
Key features of Electro for stronger connections made:
These key features are condensed to a single interface to facilitate effective and efficient learning of ECG.
Future implementation of Electro
The future of Electro:
Conclusion
Our group received positive results after the final prototype was shown to Prof Dinesh Kumar, Head of Department of Anatomy and several year 2 medical students. Having to familiarise ourselves with the medical jargon at such short span of time was tough, our group still feel that the journey was a fulfilling one as Electro value adds to their current study materials.
To view Electro video, click here!
Electro is an interactive exhibit comprises of a physical heart model connected to a touch screen display. The visual representation of ECG strengthens the connections to a touch screen display. It aims to familiarise students by using multiple key features of Electro.
Key features of Electro for stronger connections made:
- Custom selection of ECG display of myocardial infarction for greater familiarisation.
- Color coding to bridge 2D to 3D information connecting the physical heart model to touch screen display for better visualisation of the ECG leads to the physical heart walls.
- Lighted pathway in physical heart model shows how an occlusion of blood supply appears in the touch screen display to direct their focus area.
- Normal ECG can be overlaid over any abnormal ECG for better comparison.
These key features are condensed to a single interface to facilitate effective and efficient learning of ECG.
Future implementation of Electro
The future of Electro:
- Greater accessibility - Not only confined in the museum, the interface of Electro can be viewed on app through their personal devices for easy access of information anywhere and anytime.
- Scalability - Other than focusing on ECG on myocardial infarction, area of focus can be extended to accommodate all other years medical students. As the framework of Electro is adaptable to more complex heart conditions.
Conclusion
Our group received positive results after the final prototype was shown to Prof Dinesh Kumar, Head of Department of Anatomy and several year 2 medical students. Having to familiarise ourselves with the medical jargon at such short span of time was tough, our group still feel that the journey was a fulfilling one as Electro value adds to their current study materials.
To view Electro video, click here!
Team
Designers - Ysanne Yeo, Teresa Khoo & Hayley Han
Video Producer (Premiere Pro) - Hayley Han
Interface Designer (Unity) - Ysanne Yeo & Hayley Han
Light Designer (Arduino) - Teresa Khoo
Designers - Ysanne Yeo, Teresa Khoo & Hayley Han
Video Producer (Premiere Pro) - Hayley Han
Interface Designer (Unity) - Ysanne Yeo & Hayley Han
Light Designer (Arduino) - Teresa Khoo