A Future Vision of Migrant Healthcare
Migration flow 2016 (remember these are people not pixels).
United Nations health solution for migrants
The United Nations counts that over 1,000,000 Syrian refugees sought asylum between April 2011 and July 2016. Only a fraction of these refugees fleeing their home actually made it to Europe.
Project outline: I was one of ten MA students chosen by Frontend to participate in their bootcamp 'A Future Vision of Migrant Healthcare'. Our brief was to create healthcare solutions which would address the most common issues reported during this crisis by the migrants without the need of an attendant healthcare professional. It needed to circumvent problems of language and literacy level disparities as well as overcome issues of mobility.
Achievements: The outcomes of this project were presented for submission to the WHO’s Global Health Cluster as a best practice for all major IGOs and NGOs providing emergency health provisions worldwide. In addition, during the G7 Summit in Kobe in 2016, Dr. Davide Mosca, Director of IOM’s Migration Health Division, highlighted this project as an example of public-private partnerships enabling IOM to quickly respond and provide quality healthcare assistance.
My role: UX, UI, Research, Service Design
Winner or the Grand Prize at 2017 UX Awards.
Winner of the People’s Choice Award, 2017 IxD Awards.
Research
As a group we set about researching the literature IOM had supplied on the main problems facing the migrants as they travelled from their home countries. We had a video conference call with Dr Teresa Zakaria, Migration Health Emergency Operations Officer in which she discussed IOM’s needs and we identified some key factors within the scope of the project. We also interviewed a migrant called Kamil to further empathise with the end users and their journeys.
User Interviews
Pain Point Analysis
Unpacking the data
As a group we started to unpack all the data, journey mapping and whiteboarding to categorise and identify the key stakeholders and user needs.
Unpacking the Date
User persona's
Visual Design
Through journey mapping it had became apparent that the migrants meet many different aid organizations along their way. One of the main obstacles migrants faced was a language barrier. I proposed a cross platform labelling system - color coded, with clear iconography which could be universally understood by the migrants of different ages, backgrounds and cultures. The labels would be applied to generic clear or white packaging.
Journey Mapping
Digital Design
A web-based tool was also envisioned to allow aid agencies to access a library of labels and customize them for specific circumstances. The ability to add multiple languages facilitates communication between patient and caregiver. These labels could then be printed out and applied to the generic packaging with the dosage specific to that patient.
Health Service Design
We explored the concept of a cloud-based electronic health record that could be accessed through patient smartphones. A system which empowers users to control and share their own health data, communicate it with healthcare professionals through a variety of languages, and allow them to receive test results, even while on the move.
The mobile solution also acted as a connection portal for migrants to access remote consultations with doctors and nurses. This solution increases the number of medical specialists able to contribute their time and expertise without the need for long-term commitment or relocation. It also bypasses the issues many have faced trying to access local national healthcare services.
A Future Vision of Migrant Healthcare
This is a project very close to my heart, I strive to empower and enable those in need through design.
Please watch this short video below.