Shared Decision Aid for NeuroICU
Research with UMass Chan Medical School and WPI
Project Overview
The NeuroICU Decision Aid study, a collaboration between WPI and UMass Chan Medical School, involves an online decision aid designed for family members or loved ones of individuals with traumatic brain injuries or strokes. The project's goal is to explore potential enhancements in the shared decision-making process through the use of this online tool, which was initially developed in a paper format.
My Role
Between April 2022 and May 2023, I contributed as a Research Developer to this project. My responsibilities included:
- Designing, prototyping, and implementing new responsive interfaces to enhance usability on mobile and tablet devices.
- Refining the overall user interface and navigation experience.
- Integrating new features and systems into the application, such as:
- A user/prognosis management system
- Progress and analytics tracking
- A worksheet revision tracking system (part of the decision aid's final usage)
- Discussing with research team and stakeholders to gather feedback and make necessary adjustments.
Currently, I help maintain the application for use in trial studies and during feedback sessions with patients and doctors.
Research Focus
An important part of the study involves utilizing eye-tracking data to study user interaction and responses to the decision aid app. With the inclusion of features like progress tracking, embedded videos, and the worksheet revision system, we aim to gain similar insights to those provided by eye-tracking, but without the constraints of specific device formats or the laborious nature of the eye-tracking process. The study primarily aims to understand how the app's format and design influence the shared decision-making process.
Tools and Technologies
- JIRA for project management and feedback tracking
- Figma for creating interactive prototypes for various devices
- React, JavaScript, and CSS + Bootstrap
- Python, Flask, SQLAlchemy, and MySQL for the backend