Critical Function with Poor Uptake
A key function in the Healthhub app, the Patient Medication List, or PML, was designed to patients and their caregivers track various types of medicine and treatment procedures. Yet no one seemed to be using it—even those who needed it most, the elderly and patients with multiple conditions. This is where HPB approached Louken Group for help.
Confusing Interface with Vague Instructions
We discovered that patients and even healthcare professionals found the PML interface difficult to use – poor navigation, vague content, and too much unnecessary detail. This was particularly challenging for patients and caregivers in the advanced age group, which seemed to indicate that seniors could not adapt technology.
Advanced Age and Advanced Technology are Compatible
This project debunked a common misconception about seniors. It wasn’t true that they couldn’t adapt technology—just like other age group, they simply couldn’t use it if it was poorly designed. What we had to do was make the interface clear, communicative, and considerate.
Caregivers Did Not Have Remote Access
Worse, caregivers, often a spouse or child, may not always be with the patient. The original PML could not be accessed remotely, making it difficult to track medication compliance away from the patient.
Visual As Well As Verbal
After testing the app’s language and finding communication gaps, we found a solution in the app’s underutilised potential as a visual tool—to speak through images in addition to text.
Designing a Simple, Useful Interface
Adopting card-based design simplified information by creating “levels” that showed one thing at a time. If a user sought more information, more details would be revealed with each click.
Scheduled for The Patient’s Lifestyle
The new interface showed medication in chronological order, a to-do list based on time of day. Patients could set alarms, change timings if they woke up late or changed schedule in any way. The app became easier to incorporate into one’s habits because it didn’t try to modify behaviour.
Imagery as Information
In addition to listing medication names, we included a function for uploading imagery: patients could take pictures of pills, file them, and—instead of relying on pure text—see exactly which medication to take.
Sharing Information, Sharing Responsibility
With a new sharing function and a simple patient input log, the app can now send real-time updates to caregivers on the go, letting them check on medication compliance remotely.
With improved responses throughout testing phases, the new patient-centric HealthHub PML is set to make life with chronic illness a little simpler and easier.
