How might we help migraine patients to act before a full migraine phase?

Project Type

Minimum Viable Product

Role

UX/UI Designer

Project Length

5 days sprint

The Problem

Migraine patients seek to prevent that headache become into a migraine phase. We have observed that there is currently no solution that helps to act * during the first phases of a crisis.

*Complementing with medical treatment

Overview

15% of the world’s populations suffers
from migraine.

 

The general population does not consider it to be a serious disease because they usually appear in episodes, they are not fatal or contagious. It is estimated that half of the patients with headaches treat themselves.

Migraine is not only painful but also disabling.

World Health Organization (WHO)

The 4 Phases of Migraine

As part of my research, I spoke with a general practitioner, and he explained that there are 4 phases of migraine. The first has unclear signs that make it difficult to detect. The second is key to acting and not reaching a total crisis.

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Prodrome

  • Problems concentrating

  • Nausea

  • Fatigue

Aura

  • Seeing bright flashing dots

  • Numbness

  • Ringing in your ear

Headache

  • Sense sensitivity

  • Nausea and vomiting

  • Loss of appetite

Postdrome

  • Unable to concentrate

  • Feeling depressed

  • Fatigue

Quantitative data

I surveyed 55 people with migraines and learned that

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Qualitative data

I interview 7 persons with migraines and learned that

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That's how my user persona was born

Scope and Constrains

  • Other solutions can help to keep track of your crisis but do not help prevents a full crisis

  • We could help them if we educate the patients to know their bodies and symptoms so they know how to identify the different phases of migraine and then act in the first phases where they can avoid reaching stage three crisis.

 

The Solution.

An app where migraine patients can learn how to attack the first symptoms so as not to fall into a full migraine phase.

What does my solution offer?

  • Teach patients to differentiate stages of migraine.
  • You can enter your crisis whether it is starting or previous.
  • In the case of being in the Aura phase, you will be able to receive advice not to go to the next phase.
  • Have an allied contact, a person you trust who can help you in times of crisis who had valuable information to help the patient.
  • As next steps, I would like to incorporate functions with voice assistants and wearables.

Outcomes:

I tested the solution with 5 patients and was able to observe:

  • 40% of users find the idea of ​​keep track their seizures interesting

  • 80% believe that a crisis could be stopped if they know how to detect it.

  • 20% Believe that the crisis cannot be contained

Learnings:

  • Health problems depending on interdependent factors are wicked problems so this is not a final and definitive solution.

  • During the first presentation of this project, I received very valuable feedback that led me to test the prototype with the people interviewed and find out what the solution seemed to them.