Freeze Release
Reducing and preventing Parkinson's gait problems and freezes.
Overview
Alongside two great teammates in an IoT-centered Master's course, I had the opportunity to work with CreateAbility--a company developing devices and resources for aging populations. CreateAbility is prototyping a medical device to aid Parkinson's patients with their irregular walking, or gait, patterns; I was tasked with validating and adjusting this medical device's prototype and preparing a go-to-market strategy. I contributed by:
- synthesizing data into key insights and visualizing them in design-thinking frameworks
- researching the data types and inputs necessary for various stakeholder groups
- mapping out the best distribution network and key players needed to take CreatAbility's product to market
In just 5 weeks, my team followed the double-diamond approach to experience design, going through the four key phases of discover, define, develop, and deliver.
Secondary Research
I examined studies published by PhD professionals and students about the onset of Parkinson's, how to make a Parkinson's diagnosis, how to assess gait, and how AI can diagnose Parkinson's. Additionally, in weekly meetings, my graduate peers and I showcased our research and shared our knowledge for a well-rounded understanding of Parkinson's and its impact.
Primary Research
I contacted a local neurologist, a Parkinson's patient and Parkinson's coach for interviewing. In these interviews, my team members and I asked questions about living with the disease, how to manage it, treatment options, and patients' perceptions of medical technologies.
With primary and secondary data collected, I used an empathy map to better understand Parkinson's disease (PD) patients' thoughts and feelings. In this diagram, I listed out what PD patients think, feel, hear, say, see, and experience on a regular basis. It became abundantly clear that living with Parkinson's is extremely difficult; not only do patients struggle physically, but mentally as cognitive function is affected. People with Parkinson's (PwP) must have a strong sense of determination and support system to help them through the hardships that coincide with the disease.
Continuing from the empathy map, my team identified a persona and I outlined a user journey map to visualize the user's routine. The first draft of Sarah's daily journey was high-level and generalized; after some helpful feedback, I realized that the more critical insight was the frequency at which she experiences the same obstacle in the same day. Therefore, I remodeled Sarah's experience frequency, revealing that she faces an average of 18 common obstacles each day.
Narrowing the Scope
When refining the scope of our project, I looked at connected and relevant obstacles from a patient's daily routine. For example, Sarah Lang struggles to turn corners into bathrooms because of physical and mental blocks. Turning corners and approaching doorways are both triggers for gait freeze, which causes a chain reaction of struggles for Parkinson's patients.
To explore the freezing of gait (FoG), I examined the types of data used in its assessment, diagnosis, and treatment. One barrier neurologists and physical therapists confront is the absence of information between appointments; medical providers depend on the patient's word and memory to make judgements. My team envisioned a way for CreateAbility's product to address this gap, by collecting 24/7 gait data and making it visible to a patient's doctors and caretakers. For that reason, I documented the data needed by each of the four key stakeholder groups.
Additionally, I discovered that gait freeze can be released by a redirect of attention. From the in-depth study titled "Freezing of Gait in Parkinson’s Disease: Invasive and Noninvasive Neuromodulation",
"Interestingly, ameliorating factors such as emotional valence and visual and auditory cueing can shift the focus of a patient’s attention and reduce FoG"
Put simply, Parkinson's patients encounter mental blocks that prevent them from moving. However, a noise or visual cue, like a ball being thrown, can redirect the person's attention and remove the mental block.
Problem Statement: How might we relieve Parkinson’s patients’ burden of gait problems, reduce fear, and prevent freeze altogether?
Ideation
CreateAbility's product consists of ankle bracelets that evaluate a person's walking pattern; my team's idea of Freeze Release easily integrates into CreateAbility's existing prototype. It uses the same sensors and feedback signals, which eliminates additional development and hardware costs. Equipped with an accelerometer and magnetometer, Freeze Release senses a gait freeze and emits a vibration to release the user from their frozen state.
How does Freeze Release work?
Solution
In our final solution my team not only imagined the Freeze Release concept, but strategized how to take it to market. I visualized the distribution channel, in addition to defining the roles of key partners. My teammates contributed the financials, like determining the revenue streams and gathering cost structure information, competitive analysis, and other logistical implications like insurance.
Freeze Release Ecosystem
In an effort to illustrate the IoT process and minimum viable product (MVP), I created the ecosystem below.
Distribution Network
Registered as a DME (Durable Medical Device), Freeze Release can be sold by physical therapists to their patients. In order to establish credibility and loyalty amongst patients, Freeze Release can be used in physical therapy appointments as a rehabilitation tool. After weeks of training and testing it over a trial period, I expect patients to feel comfortable with the product, find its value, and purchase it for their personal use.
Key Partners
To execute the go-to-market strategy, CreateAbility must establish relationships with neurologists and physical therapists. These two key partners play integral roles in the sale of DME devices and act as marketers and decision-makers.
Results
CreateAbility has tested its initial prototype, confirming that the ankle wearables do aid patients in adjusting their gait. Using additional secondary research, I evaluated the performance of Freeze Release in three categories: physical, mental, and medical. In all three, there are significant impacts that relieve the pains experienced by both Parkinson's patients and clinicians.
Future Considerations
In review of the IoT and business model proposals, I've detected details and problem areas in need of further exploration:
Push notifications: What if a user cannot reach their phone during or soon after a freeze? Are there other possibilities for notifying the app of a gait freeze like a tapping motion or watch app? What are other options of logging gait freeze?
Gait tests: What does the gait assessment look like to establish baseline and normal patterns? How often is the gait test performed?
Privacy: How are permissions given to clinicians and physical therapists? What legal constraints are there?
Environmental Factors: Is this device easy to operate outside of a user's home? How likely are users to wear it while running errands or out with friends? How can it provide support when users aren't wearing the ankle devices?
Special thanks to those who helped me with this process: my teammates Manvish Paladugu and Adewale Yussuf, my mentors Terri Wada and Scott Kiekbush, and our client CreateAbility.
JagLine
