

From a med-tech perspective, the current COVID-19 situation creates a new opportunity: what if we could develop a single, trusted, reliable application that would allow each of us to have full control over our own health?
As COVID-19 continues to cause social and economic havoc around the world, many people are now having to deal with heightened levels of stress, fear and anxiety. From a health and wellness perspective, they have a multitude of questions. Am I healthy? Can I trust this source of information? What should I do to avoid getting sick? Which doctor should I go to? Is it safe for me to go out? What are the latest guidelines in my area? Are my family members OK?
But every cloud has a silver lining: “Connected healthcare app” is a project we’ve been working on since the beginning of March, several weeks before the nationwide lockdown was implemented here in Germany. When we started to brainstorm the idea, it never crossed our minds that knowing our families were fine and healthy would become such an integral part of our regular check-ins with them. As the pandemic worsened, however, this became our daily reality. Connecting with others in an increasingly isolated world has now become an important part of our lives. How do most of us do this? Overwhelmingly, we use our smartphones to connect with our loved ones and the outside world in general.
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So wouldn’t it be cool if we could develop a mobile app that would allow people to check in with others, monitor their health situation and reassure them that we’re in good physical shape too?
Let’s imagine the following scenario: Hermann is a salesman living in Hamburg. Due to the pandemic, he now has to work from home. He also has a family to take care of, so ensuring that they’re safe is one of his top priorities. One day, Hermann starts sneezing and appears to be developing a bad cold. He’s not overly worried at this stage ─ like most of us, he’s had many colds before. Rest, lots of water, lemon and honey, maybe some paracetamol ─ that’s what he’s always done before and it’s usually worked. But these aren’t usual circumstances.
With TV, radio and social media all full of warnings about COVID-19, Hermann is afraid he may have somehow contracted the virus. He doesn’t want to infect his wife and son, so he isolates himself in the spare bedroom and focuses on getting better. A couple of days later, he still hasn’t noticed any improvement. So he calls his doctor to tell him about his condition. The doctor tells him to stay at home, to self isolate and to continue monitoring his condition closely.
In this situation, disconnected from health professionals and his immediate family, Hermann doesn’t feel very secure. His mind is racing with questions of the kind I outlined at the top of this article.
Considering the above scenario, our new healthcare app could potentially provide a range of value propositions, from care & guidance to trust & reliability, through to health & safety:
To better visualize these value propositions, we have developed a short, animated video which you can watch here.
For now, the ideas I have outlined here are just a concept. Down the line, however, this thinking could certainly be adapted to other post–pandemic illnesses and/or extended to developing countries where access to medical resources can be scarce.
I hope you enjoyed reading my thoughts and ideas on this important topic – as usual, it would be great to get your feedback on how we could push this idea further to build a better future for all!
As a designer, Tricia is keen to explore new perspectives and to better understand the things that matter the most. Trying out new approaches, asking questions and making mistakes while learning along the way ─ this mindset keeps her growing as a person and as a designer. Everything else is just working hard: mastering new tools, developing as many design solutions as possible, constantly seeking inspiration, etc.
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