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Pain and stress are common experiences in hospitals. If they are not managed correctly, they can possibly have effects on both physical and mental health of patients. There are many strategies to lessen the stress and anxiety related to the pain that children undergo before and after surgery. However, if there is a communication barrier between hospital staff and the child, it may result in suboptimal pain management.
ADORA is aimed to help children ages 4 to 8 diminish their stress by distracting them. It consists of a wearable for stress measurement which is connected wirelessly to a social robot “Miro-E”, a plushie (data receiver), and an app. When peaks in nervous strain are detected, the robot reacts and distracts the child, taking its mind off the pain. Nonetheless, for wearable technology to be successful, it must be comfortable, effective, and easy to use.
The wearable uses sensors to measure stress, such as heartbeat, oxygen level, and skin conductance. Developing this device will help achieve better stress and pain management for children, making it more accessible and effective in determining the patient's vitals. Ultimately, this will improve the well-being of the healthcare staff and the quality of care provided.
The interaction between the child and the wearable is critical, as it leads to better accuracy of measurements through a prolonged period of pain management.
Final Bachelor Project
With this project I gathered everything I learned from previous projects and courses. In line with my PI&V, I designed a product for a “marginalized” target group, children, that created a better way of living for the user. During this project I had to contact the client, Radboud MC, health professionals and experts for their opinions. I learned how to conduct these interviews as well as what questions are important for feedback.
A previous goal of mine was to organize and conduct a user test. I was able to complete this goal with the co-design session with children about the interaction of the wearable and themselves. By seeing first hand how the users react, talk and move, I realized how important it is to complete user tests.
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