+

FirstAid+

Self Initiated • 2022

First aid and health emergency assistance application.

Role

UIUX Designer

Industry

Healthcare

Duration

8 Weeks

Co- Designer

Suchi

Brief

It gets really hard for people in emergency to find first aid steps when needed. They needs to go through a lot of texts, videos and complex instructions to find the right first aid. Amateur handling and delayed execution often leads to further casualities. This leaves a big scope for a better user experience of finding the right first aid and further assistance.

Goal

Design an interface that enables people in an health emergency find and execute first aid steps and avail further assistance.

Process

Empathise

Secondary Research
User Interview
User Survey
Market Analysis
User Journey Mapping
Empathy Mapping

Define

Problem Redefine
Design Strategy
User Personae

Ideate

Solutions
Edge Cases
Info Architecture
User Flows

Prototype

Low Fidelity Wireframes
High Fidelity Wireframes
Final Screens

Test

Usability Testing

how is the current scenario functioning?

The deep dive started by researching about first aids, types of medical emergencies & human behavior in a panic situation. We also looked at how the current system of availing health emergency assistance worked. We broke down the system in parts and analysed the functioning.

Insights

Calling Emergency Services

When one calls 112, it is advised to patiently wait for an answer. Putting the receiver down will send the again at the bottom of the waiting list.

Types of Medical emergencies

Bleeding

Breathing problems

Change in mental status

Chest pain

Choking

Coughing/vomiting blood

Fainting

Feeling of commiting suicide or murder

Head/spine injury

Severe vomiting

Sudden injury, wound

Burns or smoke inhalalation

Near drowning

Sudden severe pain anywhere

Sudden dizziness, weakness, change in vision

Intake of poisonous substance

Severe abdominal pain/pressure

Being prepared for a medical emergency

Determine location and quickest route to nearest emergency department

Keep Emergency phone numbers

Know where your doctor practices

Personal Emergency Response system is beneficial for adult

Can I call 112 with my mobile phone?

One can call the emergency number 112 with their mobile phone from all states/UTs, even when the mobile operator network is not available.

One can call emergency in the situation of

Condition is life threatening

Condition has tendency to worsen

Traffic conditions or distance causes delay in getting them to hospital in personal vehicles

During medical emergency

Stay Calm

Call local emergency

Start CPR/ appropriate First Aid

DO NOT move semiconcious or unconcious person, there may have been a neck injury

When can I call an emergency number?

You can call 112 or 100 when you urgently need a fire brigade, an ambulance or the police. If there is no urgency, you better call the local fire brigade, your general practitioner or the local police.

Can I call 100 in place of 112 as well?

Emergency calls through the number 112 and 100 arrive at the same place. You are later redirected depending upon kind of emergency.

Why 112 ? When dial 100 was already in use?

Globally recognized single emergency number.

Human Behaviour in Panic

People can behave in an inappropriate manner during an emergency

One of main reasons people fail to respond to danger is because they enter a state of denial

During disasters, freezing (also known as cognitive paralysis) is commonly seen as people struggle to generate new appropriate response/actions.

let us gather some more data.

After conducting the secondary research, we had a fair idea about the functioning aspect, availability of resources for health related emergency and human behaviour under panic. It was now time to conduct the Primary Research and know the aspects from the user’s perspective. We recieved 106 responses on the google form. This form was used to understand first aid response of people.

< 5 kms

6-14 Kms

15+ Kms

81.1%

15.1 %

3.8%

Distance to nearest hospital?

Ambulance service availed?

No

75.5%

Yes

24.5 %

Average ambulance

experience?

Time for an ambulance to arrive?

39.6%

<15

Mins

41.5 %

15-20

Mins

18.9 %

>20

Mins

Do you know general first aid ?

29.2%

70.8%

No

Yes

Have you ever panicked while handling critical situations?

39.6%

17.9 %

42.5 %

Yes

No

Maybe

73.7%

No

Do you know how to give CPR?

24.5%

No

Do you know how to check pulse rate?

10

20

30

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

How well can you perform critical

steps under panic?

What do you do when you don’t have any clue

of the right first aid?

34%

Look over the internet

28.3%

Call a Doctor

23.6%

Ask family & friends

14.1%

Dial Emergency

what does the health emergency responders have to say?

After conducting the survey, we headed to talk to doctors and victims to know about their experience of handling emergency situations and application of first aid.

Some of the questions that we asked to emergency respondents

What is the protocol after an emergency is informed?

Do you provide first aid assistance over call?

Is there a Quick Response Team in every hospital?

What the frequency of emergencies you receive?

Is the the kind of emergency asked while sending ambulance/help?

What is the most common First Aid given in emergencies?

Has it ever happened that mishandling of emergencies lead to further casualties?

Do you receive hoax calls/requests for an ambulance?

What are the questions asked when an emergency is reported?

What is the probability of avoiding casualties if a person knows to administer the right first aid?

Key Insights

  • Should not give any first-aid if not sure about it.

  • 1st basic protocol should be to call an ambulance.

  • Primary health care system doesn’t provide very efficient care, especially in rural areas.

  • Only the basic first aid that can be performed correctly is advised over calls.

  • High reporting of road accidents in traffic prone area.

  • People are unaware or insufficiently educated about the most basic first aid.

  • Quick Response team is not available in most hospitals.

  • Depending upon the patient’s situation, equipments might be pre prepared.

  • Correct First-Aid knowledge can prevent multiple casualities.

  • Mishandling of situation worsens the patient’s condition.

Interview 1

Disha Kakkar
Medical Student

Trauma Centre,
SDUMC Kolar

Key Insights

  • SOPs in place to handle emergencies.

  • Scene safety is prioritised at any moment.

  • No Assistance given over calls.

  • No QRT in every hospitals, available only in tertiary care centres.

  • 50-60 emergency cases per day.

  • Better knowledge about first aid can help save more lives.

  • Patient vitals are checked first.

  • Mishandling of situation worsens the patient’s condition.

Interview 2

Dr Harsimran
Quick Response Team

Working at a super
speciality hospital

what does the emergency victims have to say?

After knowing the procedure and steps taken after an emergency is reported, we found a volunteer for our interview who had faced a health emergency and had contacted emergency number 108. Due to sensitivity of the matter, the identity is withheld.

Some of the questions that we asked to emergency victim.

Have you or your known ever faced a medical emergency?

Can you share how the events unfolded?

How well could you handle the situation?

How much time did it take for you to find a relevant first aid?

Can you discuss your experience of calling the ambulance?

What instructions did you receive over call?

Interview 3

Keshav
Victim

(Name changed)

Key Insights

  • Difficult to find appropriate First-Aid online in a time crunch.

  • Delay in getting right solution frustrates the person.

  • Need a sound support to stay confident in panic.

  • Increased tendency to listen to casually given advices during emergencies, might lead to worsening of a situation.

  • Assured knowledge provides confidence to perform critical actions.

  • Contacting and tracking emergency help is time consuming.

  • Language barrier hinders travellers in getting help from localities.

  • Poor time-management in stress.

mapping out the conversation.

After conducting Research and Market analysis, we then made an empathy map.

SAYS

  • He wasn't shouting but we realised he might be in some trouble.

  • Realised he wasn't breathing tho he had a pulse.

  • I was facing network issues.

  • Youtube tutorial video had a 20 sec unskippable advt.

  • We had to enquire the position of ambulance a lot.

  • Couldn’t have handled alone. Glad Avinash was there to take charge.

  • The communication with emergency service was not efficient at all, they gave v basic instructions

  • Someone suggested performing ‘himley?’..... I didn’t know how efficient that would have been.

THINKS

  • He might have water in his lungs.

  • Had heard first thing to do in such situations is to give CPR.

  • Took time to learn how to give CPR.

  • Faced issues in finding apt way of performing it.

  • Situation was tense and emergency services needed to be called up.

  • His friend handled situation better who took charge.

  • When they called hospital, already a couple of minutes had passed.

FEELS

  • Regrets being less cautious.

  • Scared to give wrong CPR because of incomplete

  • Anxious, Impatient & Confused

  • Communication barrier- tried to explain best but could whole process could have taken less time if no such barrier.

  • Traumatised to see close friend in a critical situation.

  • Panic- stress- hands shaking, didn't know what to do.

  • Couldn't type to search over internet due to panic.

  • Poor time management in stress.

DOES

  • Calls people around for help.

  • Looks over internet for ways to give CPR.

  • Looks for phone with active internet connection.

  • Skipped and jumbled though videos.

  • Performs CPR on advice.

  • Calls ambulance.

  • Listens to his confident friend’s instructions.

what is the current user journey?

We made user journey map to understand the events at each stage. After finalizing the stages, we plotted the mental state and performance index.

Mental state

Panic

Good

Bad

Calm

Health Emergency

  • Accident

  • Encounters accident

  • Get injured/ health emergency

  • Seeks help/ helps themselves


Condition Analysis

  • Examine injuries

  • Analyse symptoms

  • Decides criticality

  • Sees if the patient needs to be taken to hospital

  • Or if some first aid should be tried


First Aid Search

  • Call someone to help reach aid

  • Looks for first aid methods online

  • Calls another person/ doctor to ask first aid methods

Calling Ambulance

  • See the situation going out of hands

  • Calls emergency helpline for ambulance

First Aid Execution

  • Ask the doctor
    helpline for precautions and first aid methods to keep on trying until ambulance arrives

  • Wait for ambulance

Patient taken to hospital

  • Ambulance arrives

  • Guide the medical helpers to the patient

  • Shift patient to stature

  • Stature into ambulance

Performance

who are the competitors in this space?

We conducted a competitive analysis to identify the pain and gain points of existing application that address the same problem.

First Aid -IFRC

The official IFRC First Aid app gives you instant access to the information you need to know to handle the most common first aid emergencies.

User Flow to avail emergency assistance

Home screen

First Aid Type

Injury

Instructions

Positive Reviews

Critical Reviews

IRCS First Aid

This Indian Red Cross Society First Aid application provides you first aid guidelines to handle day-to-day emergencies.

User Flow to avail emergency assistance

Home screen

Injury

Instructions

Positive Reviews

Critical Reviews

108 Gujrat

108 Gujarat is an application made available by govt of Gujarat to request and track an ambulance.

User Flow to avail emergency assistance

Emergency Button

Capture Image

Home screen

Get ambulance

Case creation

Emergency Info

Call 108

System call requested

Ambulance Dispatched

Positive Reviews

Critical Reviews

who are the ideal users?

We defined user personas to have a reliable reference of users for the rest of the design process.

“My friend barely survived the accident last month. Visuals alone give me chills ”

Ryan

Howard

23 Years

Travel Enthusiast

Student

Motivation

He wants to keep emergency situations under control

Characteristics

Impulsive

Enthusiastic

Impatient

Goals

Have a back-end safety assurance while travelling

Have quick medical guidance to emergency treatments


Frustration

The risk of unusual injuries with chaotic first-aid guidance on the internet

Communication difficulties with localites of the visiting location


Adventurous individual wishing to travel his dream places and keeps safety as a priority.

“We could luckily rush Cece on time. I wonder what would have happened if Jim’s suggestion on First Aid wouldn’t have worked”

Pam

Beesly

32 Years

Working Mother

Professional

Motivation

She wishes to have accessible medical aid for her children and stay emotionally strong.

Characteristics

Emotional

Sensitive

Empathetic


Goals

Simple and trusted guide to learn First-Aid

To get emergency help in an easy and assisted manner


Frustration

Has to go through a lot of information to find the right solution during crisis

Doesn’t know if the emergency is severe enough to call for an ambulance

Unconfident of making right decisions in a panic state. Has never availed any emergency service.

let's redefine the problem statement.

We redefined the brief post analysing the current emergency response system and interviewing respondents and a victim.

Problem Statement 2.0

It becomes difficult to go around the internet and look for first aid or to get correct immediate guidance. Considering the human factor of panic, it becomes more difficult for users to execute the crucial steps. Failing to give the right first aid at the right time, leads to further casualties. Requesting and tracking ambulance is also difficult in such situations.

what factors will shape the design strategy?

After redefining the problem statement and empathizing with the user, we decided to jot down the design strategy to have a clearer approach for our brainstorming session.

Content

All first aid scenarios

Mishandling avoidance

Human Factor

Panic Reduction

Confidence in Action

Assurity

Effective

Minimal Reading

Easy Navigation

Understandable Visuals

Assurance

Genuinity of Solution

Real Time Updates

Available

Offline Instruction

Multilingual

Language Support

time to brainstorm on scenarios.

We ideated on user stories and scenarios and defined the problem point. This helped us list down the features that we want in our solution.

User requests an ambulance and is unable to get updates about dispatch and location.

Problem

Ambulance Location

Probable Feature

Tracking details on MAP

User panics at the moment and requires further adaptive assistance to save someone’s life.

Problem

Panic

Probable Feature

Human Assistance

User requires trustable and effective representation of the first aid steps to perform.

Problem

First aid steps not known

Probable Feature

Graphic Illustrations

Operator requires live status of the health condition of the affected person to suggest the best first aid.

Problem

Situation Analysis

Probable Feature

Live Video and Audio

User is unable to understand instructions because of language barriers.

Problem

Language

Probable Feature

Transcription & multi lingual support

User is unable to request for ambulance because of long waiting time.

Problem

Waitlist

Probable Feature

Request ambulance directly

The condition of the victim worsens with wrong first air application.

Problem

Misconceptions regarding first aid

Probable Feature

Written/ Graphic Illustrations

User is not prepared to handle emergency situations.

Problem

Pre Information

Probable Feature

Informative content

Ambulance is unable to trace the victim.

Problem

Last Mile Identification

Probable Feature

Flashing Screen

User cant recall the emergency numbers.

Problem

Emergency Contact

Probable Feature

Phone Nos

User is unable to know all the steps of first aid.

Problem

Knowledge constraint

Probable Feature

All the steps on the same screen

User is unable to connect to emergency response team directly.

Problem

Quick Access Control

Probable Feature

Slider Widget to call

People with communication disability are unable to communicate with Emergency Response Team.

Problem

Communication Disability

Probable Feature

Chat feature / transcript / read aloud

User is unable to request and get instructions from ERT in no network zones.

Problem

Connectivity

Probable Feature

Codes linked with instructions

User carries the belief of first-aid from previous stories and misleading informations.

Problem

People believe in myths

Probable Feature

Common myths section

User misunderstands the injury.

Problem

Common mentality

Probable Feature

Related first aid section

User cannot identify the correct injury.

Problem

Confusing symptoms

Probable Feature

Search for symptoms

User is unable to find the injury type.

Problem

Knowledge constraint

Probable Feature

Instructor on call

what will be the ideal user flow?

We designed the user flow considering all the aspects of human behaviour and system functioning.This is the ideal flow we want the users to take while using our product.

what about the information architecture?

We created an information architecture for the interface to smoothen the information hierarchy experience.

Colour

Use background colours to indicate content/section change when scrolling, this helps orient users if the full interface can’t be seen

Language

Adaptive context language based on user preference or system settings

Form

Place input error messages in proximity to the input (eg, you are being connected, request for an ambulance meanwhile?)

Navigation

Similar search/keywords

Use progress/step indicators to remind users where they are in a process (navigating first aid)

Images

Functional & informational images and icons need text equivalent (alt-text), decorative images and icons don’t

Visuals

Avoid flickering - provide user with the ability to turn off animations, blinking, flickering, flashing, etc.

Interaction

Provide feedback within the proximity of the component interacted with, otherwise, the confirmation will be missed and cause confusion

Audio

Ensure audio is not auto-played (distracting and can interfere with text-to-speech)

Combine audio and visual content to make information easier to understand. Provide an online chat feature, not just a phone number (too anxious or depressed to talk verbally)

one more important thing.

Since this solution plays an important role in everyone’s life, the accessibility aspect had to be addressed properly.

putting interface ideas to life.

We designed the user flow considering all the aspects of human behaviour and system functioning.This is the ideal flow we want the users to take while using our product.

how is the final interface going to work?

testing the interface.

We tested the interface with 4 people through a cognitive walkthrough. This also served as a feedback session and we made the necessary changes to our interface.

Some of the questions that we asked

Request Emergency Assistance.

Try finding a first aid for head injury.

Track the status of ambulance

Find the nearest aid.

Assistance without network is a good thought.

A unified interface for all the emergency assistance should be made.

It is easy to navigate. Simple interface works best.

It is a wonderful initiative.

Integration of telemedicine is a nice inclusion.

Finding first aid has never been so easy.

our reflections.

It was a wonderful experience designing for a good cause. We received a lot of appreciation for our initiative throughout the project. Doctors working in the trauma centre found a big scope for the project.

Learning about the human behaviour in panic enabled us to have a better design approach. Testing with real users helped us find scope for improvement in the interface.

Designed with love by Rishikesh