Pediatric Opioids Overdose Prevention Tracker
Mobile Development (Android)
The opioid crisis in America affects both adults and children. However, children are often excluded from healthcare policies and guidelines aimed at curbing the opioid crisis. For example, recent guidelines on opioid prescribing authored by the CDC have exclusively focused on adults. Stakeholders such as patients, providers, and public health agencies feel increased pressure to address the opioid crisis and thus guidelines intended for adults may inadvertently be generalized to children.
Our project is preliminary research collaborated with Dr. Luke Jakubowski and nurses from Fairview Masonic Children's hospital aiming to help reduce the usage of opioids after pediatric surgery and prevent opioid addiction among children post-surgery. In our mobile application, parents can use different methods to decide if their child needs opioid medication at the moment, track usage, and communicate with healthcare providers.
I discovered the product idea from my UI/UX design class and took the role of the product lead and UI/UX designer for this project in the 4 people group where I developed my initial interest in product management during my undergraduate studies at the University of Minnesota. The project was continued after I graduated and is now available on Apple Store for download. (Only for institutional use.)
Customer Challenge Research
The goal of our preliminary research is to understand one question:
What are the challenges in providing the correct dosage of opioids for post-surgery children caregivers?
To get an initial insight into the post-surgery childcare process and to gain a deep understanding of children's and parents' experiences, we conducted 20 face-to-face interviews with caregivers of patients. More interviews and user trials were conducted for later development before the product launch.
Round 1: User Interview & Findings
As part of our research, we collaborated with healthcare professionals to develop a set of 12 open-ended questions that explore the challenges faced by caregivers when tending to children before and after surgery. Our focus was on understanding how children cope with discomfort during this process, such as the difficulty of abstaining from water intake for several hours after surgery. We were particularly interested in learning under what circumstances caregivers would choose to supplement ibuprofen/acetaminophen pain control regimes with opioids or exceed the prescribed dosage schedule.
These interviews were conducted anonymously in a clinical setting, ensuring the protection of participants' identities.
Through our interviews, we identified several key challenges that caregivers face when tending to children before and after surgery :
Many young children are unable to accurately express their pain levels.
While medication reminder apps can be helpful, tracking medicine intake can still be overwhelming for caregivers.
Caregivers are not informed/aware that young children are more susceptible to opioids even at a very low dosage.
There is a lack of easy and quick communication methods for caregivers to ask short questions of healthcare professionals.
It's worth noting that our interviews were only conducted with patients and caregivers, and not with doctors or nurses. This decision was made because this research represents a preliminary investigation into the experiences of those most directly impacted by pediatric surgeries. The idea for the research stemmed from the daily experiences of healthcare professionals. Additionally, the doctor who collaborated with us had already conducted some informal interviews, which reduced the need for us to interview them again. Our focus was on capturing the experiences and challenges faced by patients and caregivers in the hopes of informing future interventions and support programs.
Round 2: User Survey and Findings
Objectives:
We are also conducting user surveys with the caregivers we interviewed to achieve the following objectives for the first round of development:
Validate and prioritize the outstanding problems identified through user interviews: We aim to confirm that the challenges and pain points identified during our interviews are accurate and significant to caregivers. Through the survey, we will gather additional insights into the prevalence and severity of these issues and identify any additional problems that may have been missed during the interviews.
Inform decision-making about significant elements of the holistic caregiving experiences: We intend to use the survey results to identify the most important aspects of the caregiving experience, such as communication with healthcare providers, pain management, and overall support. These insights will guide the development of future interventions or support programs.
Gather more intelligence on what other methods/apps or anything caregivers use during the process and how helpful they are: Through the survey, we hope to gain a deeper understanding of the methods and tools that caregivers use to manage their child's care, such as medication tracking apps or support groups. We will also assess the effectiveness of these tools and identify any areas for improvement.
Methodology
N = 20
Data were classified by caregiver types: parents; other family members; part-time babysitters and others
Key Findings
For young patients and children who have never had surgery before, it can be challenging for caregivers to accurately assess the level of pain the patient is experiencing and provide the correct dosage of medication. (Score: 16/20, 80%)
Parents who are new to post-surgery care often struggle with administering medication at the correct time with different pills and dosages scheduled at different times. (Score: 11/20; 55%)
Being able to communicate effectively with healthcare professionals is highly desired. (Score: 6/20; 30%)
(Other information collected during interviews for future research)
In addition to the objectives that were previously mentioned, the user survey in the second round of research also aims to explore a variety of other important topics related to the caregiving experience.
The survey seeks to gain a better understanding of the emotional impact that caregiving has on the caregiver, including their stress levels, coping mechanisms, and sources of support.
The survey will assess the effectiveness of current pain management strategies and identify areas for improvement, with the ultimate goal of ensuring that children are receiving the best possible care and treatment during their recovery period.
Another key objective of the survey is to determine the most effective communication channels for caregivers to receive information from healthcare professionals and ask questions, as this can be a critical aspect of providing high-quality care for post-surgery children.
The survey aims to explore the potential for technology-based solutions to support caregivers before and after pediatric surgeries, recognizing the importance of leveraging technology to enhance the overall caregiving experience and improve health outcomes for children.
Persona and Customer Journey
Based on our interviews, we identified three outstanding segments: primary caregivers and secondary/part-time caregivers. To better understand users' goals, needs, experiences, and behaviors, we created 3 personas and journey maps for each of our user segments.
Kathy
Age and Gener: 28F;
Education: Bachelor's degree;
Mother of two children
Kathy is the primary caregiver to her son and has no prior experience in post-surgery care.
"My son underwent his first surgery, and I am doing my best to ensure his happiness and comfort during his recovery while staying on top of everything."
Personal Product Interest:
Easy post-surgery care and monitoring pain levels for her 4-year-old child
How Persona Learn About the Product:
Kathy's child's doctor informed her about the app and the risks of opioids for young children.
How Persona Buy and Expects to Buy the Product:
Initially downloaded from the doctor's computer; expects to download directly from the app store in the future
How Would Persona Use the Product:
Kathy relies on the app to monitor her child's pain levels, determine when to administer medication, and track medication usage. The intuitive interface helps her make informed decisions, ensuring her child's safety and comfort.
What and How Does Customer Expect from Vendor for Post Sale Support?
Kathy expects access to user guides, responsive customer service for troubleshooting, and regular updates to keep the app up-to-date with the latest medical guidelines.
Persona Product Needs:
Recommend correct painkiller dosage
Track medication intake time;
Log required stats (e.g. body temp)
Facilitate communications with doctors/nurses
Persona Top Pain Point:
Lack of post-surgery care experience, needing additional support during the recovery period
Difficulty watching her son in pain and needing guidance to avoid administering excessive opioid painkillers
A medication tracker is essential for her to stay organized
Ken
Age and Gender: 65M;
Education: Bachelor's degree;
Grandpa; Retired
Ken is the secondary caregiver for his 6-year-old granddaughter, who recently underwent her second surgery. He has some experience in post-surgery care and tries to minimize painkiller usage.
"I want to ensure my granddaughter's comfort and well-being during her recovery while keeping track of her medication and staying organized, as well as help the family during this challenging time."
Personal Product Interest:
Support in post-surgery care, medication tracking, and logging crucial health information for his granddaughter
How Persona Learn About the Product:
Ken's daughter (the child's mother) informed him about the app and its benefits for post-surgery care and medication tracking.
How Persona Buy and Expects to Buy the Product:
Initially, Ken's daughter downloaded the app on his phone and taught him how to use it; he expects to download it directly from the app store in the future.
How Would Persona Use the Product:
Ken uses the app to track his granddaughter's medication intake, follow the medication schedule, log vital health information six times a day, and communicate with healthcare providers. He appreciates the reminders to administer medication and log health stats but needs a way to enforce adherence to these tasks.
What and How Does Customer Expect from Vendor for Post Sale Support?
Ken expects access to user guides, responsive customer service for troubleshooting, and regular updates to keep the app up-to-date with the latest medical guidelines.
Persona Product Needs:
Easy-to-follow medication schedule
Reminders for medication administration and health information logging
Secure communication with healthcare providers
Enforced logging mechanism to ensure adherence
Persona Top Pain Point:
Difficulty remembering to log health information, even with alarms
Balancing caregiving responsibilities while ensuring proper post-surgery care and health information logging
The need for a mechanism that enforces health information logging to prevent forgetfulness
User Stories and Acceptance Criteria
User Story 1:
As a caregiver, I want to assess my child's pain levels accurately using a child-friendly interface.
Acceptance Criteria:
The app provides a pain assessment tool suitable for children.
The pain assessment tool is visually appealing and easy for children to understand.
The tool allows children to express their pain levels in a way that caregivers and healthcare professionals can interpret.
User Story 2:
As a caregiver, I want to track my child's medication intake and receive reminders for administering medications on time.
Acceptance Criteria:
The app allows caregivers to input medication details, including dosage and frequency.
The app sends reminders to caregivers based on the medication schedule.
The app visually displays medication history, making it easy for caregivers to track the child's intake.
User Story 3:
As a caregiver, I want to create a customized pain management plan for my child based on their needs and healthcare professionals' advice.
Acceptance Criteria:
The app enables caregivers to input personalized pain management plans.
The app supports collaboration with healthcare professionals in developing pain management plans.
The app allows caregivers to track the effectiveness of the pain management plan over time.
User Story 4:
As a caregiver, I want to access educational resources on pre- and post-surgery care to help me address common challenges and concerns.
Acceptance Criteria:
The app offers a library of educational resources on pre- and post-surgery care.
The resources cover a wide range of topics, including pain management, wound care, and activity restrictions.
The app allows caregivers to bookmark or save resources for future reference.
User Story 5:
As a caregiver, I want to communicate directly with healthcare professionals through a secure messaging platform.
Acceptance Criteria:
The app provides a secure messaging platform for caregivers and healthcare professionals.
The platform supports the exchange of text, images, and attachments.
The app stores conversation history for easy reference.
User Story 6:
As a caregiver, I want to connect with support groups, therapy options, and stress-relief resources to help me cope with the challenges of caregiving.
Acceptance Criteria:
The app offers a list of emotional support resources for caregivers.
The app allows caregivers to connect with support groups or therapists.
The app provides access to stress-relief techniques and resources to help caregivers maintain their well-being.
Risk and Mitigation
Business Lean Canvas
Product Roadmap
MVP
Child-friendly pain assessment:
Interactive and visual tools for children to express their pain levels accurately, helping caregivers understand their child's needs.
Medication tracking and reminders:
An easy-to-use system for managing medication schedules, with timely reminders for dosages, ensuring proper administration and adherence.
Secure messaging with healthcare professionals:
A communication platform that allows caregivers to ask questions and receive expert advice quickly and securely.
Personalized pain management plans:
Customized plans based on the child's surgery type and recovery needs, offering tailored guidance for optimal pain relief.
Educational resources:
Access to surgery-specific information, pre- and post-surgery care guidelines, and opioid risk education, empowering caregivers with essential knowledge.
Emotional support resources:
A platform for caregivers to connect with community forums, learn stress management techniques, and access coping mechanisms, promoting emotional well-being.
