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Project Duration
10 weeks
Project Type
Solo project
A medical assistant for
people living with epilepsy
Epilepsy is a chronic, highly stigmatized condition in which a person experiences random episodes of seizures.
The cause of epilepsy is currently unknown.
What is epilepsy?
It's much more common than you think
1/3
There are more people with epilepsy than autism spectrum, Parkinson's disease, multiple sclerosis, and cerebral palsy – combined
of people with epilepsy suffer from anxiety/depression
There are two ways epilepsy affects the brain
Focal Seizures
Affects a specific part of the brain
Generalized Seizures
Affects the entire brain
And there are two types of seizures
Motor Seizures
Uncontrolled movements, sounds, or body functions. Commonly called Tonic-Clonic Seizures.
Non-Motor Seizures
Staring spells, brief twitches of the eye or other body parts. Commonly called Absence Seizures.
Aura focuses on generalized tonic-clonic (motor) seizures
Research
Research
Stigma and isolation creates large internet communities of people living with epilepsy
Because of this phenomenon, I was able to do my research online. I collected hours of observations from:
• Facebook support groups
• a popular epilepsy subreddit
• various YouTube channels ranging from non-profits to TED talks, to individual families recording their lives.
• the Epilepsy Foundation website
These accounts are raw, sometimes highly private, and contained very valuable insights into the lives of thousands of people.
Photos from the Epilepsy and Seizure Support Group on Facebook
How did I look at this data?
Looking at personal accounts showed me how individuals deal with their epilepsy on a day to day basis. I looked for annoyances, fears, joys, and excitements in their journeys.
I also looked at larger themes on these pages. What is trending? What is a popular question, rant, or sentiment? What do all these different social media pages have in common?
I used observational clustering to synthesize my findings
This helped me create a persona, Dana, who is affected by a variety of common problems that people living with epilepsy face.
Dana was diagnosed with epilepsy at age 32
New to the condition, Dana feels vulnerable, helpless and isolated. She has random, tonic clonic seizures on an almost daily basis, and is looking for a product to help her find steady ground on this new journey.
"Epilepsy was a fundamental change in my life, and it wasn't something from which I could just carry on."
Dana's Emotional Stress Journey
She is diagnosed with epilepsy after a second episode
Epilepsy becomes a part of her identity, which takes her a long time to accept.
Dana has a seizure, but doctors are unsure if it is epilepsy or not.
She has trouble remembering to fill out her seizure diary in order to find the right medication
She finally finds a medication that works for her
She feels isolated as her friends start to cancel plans with her
I picked a point of high stress (medication management)
and analyzed Dana's physical journey through it
Full journey map
I identified these three as major problems that needed solutions
Remembering to
take medication
Embarrassing + isolating to wear medical alert bracelet
Remembering to fill
out seizure diary
Competitive analysis in the problem space
Pen and Paper
Pros
+ Accessible
Cons
- Difficult to organize
- Hard to bring everywhere
- Can't get analytics
- No medication reminders
Lauren's Hope
Medical Jewelry
Pros
+ Aesthetically pleasing
+ Subtle design
Cons
- Too subtle for emergencies
- No emergency services
Bleuberi Seizure Diary
Pros
+ In-depth seizure and mood analytics
+ Medication reminders
+ Seizure timer and emergency services
Cons
- Takes too much time
to manually input
- Hard to navigate
- No automation with emergency services
My Seizure Diary
Pros
+ In-depth seizure analytics
+ Can send data to Dr.
+ Medication reminders
Cons
- No emergency services
- Takes too much time to manually input
Empatica 2 Wearable
Pros
+ Automated emergency services
+ In-depth seizure and health analytics
+ Automated recording of seizure data
+ Medication reminders
Cons
- No emotional support
- No first-aid help to bystanders
- No interface on wearable
Dana wants a product that gives her...
Control
Dana wants easy-to-read analytics about her seizures that help her make educated decisions with her doctors
Low Visibility
Dana doesn't want to draw even more attention to her already stigmatized condition
Support
Dana needs support to assist her through emotional rough patches, and provide protection during episodes
Ideation
Ideation
Concept #1: Medication management made easy
Does it satisfy what Dana is looking for?
Does it solve the identified problems?
Concept #2: Predictive Seizure Hat with EEG
Does it satisfy what Dana is looking for?
Does it solve the identified problems?
Concept #3: Seizure Detection/Support System Ring
Does it solve the identified problems?
Does it satisfy what Dana is looking for?
Concept #4: Seizure Detection Watch
Does it solve the identified problems?
Does it satisfy what Dana is looking for?
Form Ideation
App wireframing
Final Product
How it Works
There when you need it, hidden when you don't
When Aura detects a seizure, it turns from looking like a smartwatch to a highly visible medical alert bracelet.
First aid guidance to bystanders
There are lots of myths about seizures. A common one is that the person having a seizure will swallow their tongue. Another is that
you should try to restrain the person having an episode. Both are incorrect and can lead to causing more harm.
Aura provides first aid audio on a loop so that if an incident happens in public, bystanders can safely help the person.
Listen to first-aid audio from the wearable
Additional emergency services
At the beginning of each seizure, a message to loved ones is sent and a timer begins. If the seizure lasts more than 5 minutes, paramedics are alerted automatically.
Additionally, an in-depth medical ID is available for viewing.
Dialogue based AI chatbot for insights and wellbeing
After a seizure is automatically recorded from the wearable, Aura follows up with the user for extra insights through a dialogue-based AI chatbot.
Since a third of people with epilepsy suffer from anxiety and depression due to the isolating nature of the condition, this chatbot specializes in CBT (cognitive behavioral therapy), a therapy known to ease anxiety and depression.
Collected insights from the diary and wearable
Easy medication management
Time
Medication Reminder
Medical Alert
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