Titulo Estágio
uPRO - Design and validation of self-report mobile user interface design patterns for older adults with rheumatic conditions
Local do Estágio
Porto or Remote Work
Enquadramento
Background and motivation
56% of adults live with a rheumatic condition and this number is likely to increase due to population ageing. The high prevalence of rheumatic conditions will most likely increase the distance between appointments at the specialist, thus impacting patient care.
Mobile apps for self-reporting symptoms, also known as electronic patient reported outcomes (ePRO), are seen as key to support rheumatology care with rich insights from patients. Nevertheless, ePRO solutions rarely undergo usability tests, which is especially problematic for older patients with limited ICT knowledge or experience. Consequently, the potential of ePROs is greatly reduced.
Objetivo
Objectives
This thesis will create and validate ePRO design patterns for older adults with rheumatic conditions. Drawing on an in-depth review of mobile apps from the iTunes and Play Store, the student will select a list of UI design patterns to validate with end-users. Selected patterns will be implemented on an Android app and will be validated in usability experiments with older adults with rheumatic conditions. To inform the work, the student will resort to fieldwork or literature about the hand dexterity issues of this audience.
Innovative aspects
The created design patterns will support the development of ePRO solutions, with a strong trust that they will be usable by older adults with rheumatic conditions.
Plano de Trabalhos - Semestre 1
Workplan (1st semester)
1 - Review literature on the characteristics and hand dexterity issues of people with rheumatic conditions;
2 - Review literature on usability test experiments for touchscreen devices.
Plano de Trabalhos - Semestre 2
Workplan (2nd semester)
1 - Review smartphones apps for people with rheumatic conditions, for both Android and iPhone, focusing on the design patterns used in the apps;
2 - Design and conduct usability test experiments to assess different design patterns to support the self-report of people with rheumatic conditions;
3 - Document design patterns and recommendations to inform the design of self-report applications for people with rheumatic conditions.
Condições
Candidate Profile
- Background in multimedia design or a similar area;
- Good social skills for interacting with participants;
- Interest in understanding the issues of people living with rheumatic conditions;
- Willingness to perform interdisciplinary work;
- Proficiency in English.
Observações
MSc Thesis to be supervised by Prof. Paula Alexandra Silva (Department of Informatics Engineering).
References
- Seppen et al. (2020) Asynchronous mHealth Interventions in Rheumatoid Arthritis: Systematic Scoping Review;
- Leitao and Silva (2012) Target and Spacing Sizes for Smartphone User Interfaces for Older Adults: Design Patterns Based on an Evaluation with Users.
Orientador
Francisco Maria Cruz Nunes
francisco.nunes@fraunhofer.pt 📩