Melafy - Melanoma aftercare through user-centered design
Melafy represents a thoughtful integration of technology and design to address the critical need for consistent follow-up care in melanoma. Recognizing the challenges created by limited healthcare resources and the need for regular monitoring of melanoma patients, Melafy provides a digital platform that empowers patients to take an active role in their follow-up process.
While malignant melanoma is treatable if detected early, it requires careful follow-up to detect any recurrences or new melanomas. The traditional model of healthcare delivery, burdened by cost constraints and staff shortages, often results in irregular follow-up appointments.
While malignant melanoma is treatable if detected early, it requires careful follow-up to detect any recurrences or new melanomas. The traditional model of healthcare delivery, burdened by cost constraints and staff shortages, often results in irregular follow-up appointments.
Explanation video
Design process and insights
Our design process started with a comprehensive analysis of the patient journey, which included a two-week design sprint to explore initial concepts. Through user research, including interviews and journey mapping, we identified key pain points and opportunities for intervention. Collaboration with skin cancer survivors, telemedicine experts from Dermanostic and medical researchers from the German Cancer Research Center provided valuable insights that shaped our approach.
Prototyping
When developing the Melafy scanner prototype, a key component of our solution, we focused on practicality. Using a 3D-printed housing and an ESP32 DevkitC V4, we simulated the process of image capture and transfer to focus on the usability aspects. This allowed us to iterate the user interface and functionality of the app based on real user feedback, ensuring that our design decisions matched the actual needs of patients.
Explanation video
Service – App & Device
With the Melafy app and scanner, patients can document and track changes in their skin condition over time. By providing detailed instructions and a simple interface for capturing consistent, high-quality images, Melafy makes it easier for patients to contribute to their follow-up care. When abnormalities are detected, the system alerts healthcare providers, allowing for early medical assessment and intervention if necessary.
The system demonstrates how user-centered design can improve the efficiency and effectiveness of healthcare processes. By enabling patients to monitor their condition and communicate with their healthcare providers, Melafy closes a critical gap in melanoma aftercare. This project underscores the importance of empathy and practicality in developing healthcare solutions that meet real-world needs.
The system demonstrates how user-centered design can improve the efficiency and effectiveness of healthcare processes. By enabling patients to monitor their condition and communicate with their healthcare providers, Melafy closes a critical gap in melanoma aftercare. This project underscores the importance of empathy and practicality in developing healthcare solutions that meet real-world needs.
Conclusion
In developing Melafy, we considered the complexity of healthcare and the patient experience to create a solution that supports early detection and optimized follow-up care for melanoma patients. This project highlights the role of UX and interaction design in developing accessible, user-friendly digital health tools that can lead to better health outcomes and increased patient engagement.
Sixth semester Interaction Design SoSe 2022 (Lean Design project with IOT Aalen)
Project partners: Niko Mang, Niklas Moldan, Lukas Böckelmann
Project partners: Niko Mang, Niklas Moldan, Lukas Böckelmann