Bringing scalable medical training to low-resource settings
Aug 2024
The story of Thomas and the breathe medical team began with developing an affordable, high-quality emergency and transport ventilator designed to meet the needs of low-resource settings. However, the ETH spin-off quickly realized that the effectiveness of such devices hinges not just on their availability but also on the ability of healthcare workers to use them proficiently. The effective use of ventilators, like many medical devices, requires specific training. The absence of this training often results in underutilization or misuse during hectic emergencies.
Thomas and his team observed that the scarcity of resources is compounded by the limited opportunities for continuous training with realistic scenarios for healthcare professionals.
Often, they depend on the rare visits of a trainer for any learning opportunity, which restricts their ability to improve skills and, consequently, the quality of care they can provide.
Recognizing that the provision of medical devices alone wouldn't solve the root problem of emergency care in remote settings, the need for a scalable, affordable training solution became evident.
This is the challenge that the team of breathe medical has set out to address.
How can we enable anyone to get access to medical training opportunities?
Together, we initially developed a quick prototype (depicted in the images) that would enable their team to conduct a series of customer testing in low-resource settings. The low-fidelity prototype was not designed and lacked offline mode, among other things, but it provided just enough to validate the idea of mobile-based simulation training.
Over a couple of iterations paired with testing, the breathe medical team crystallized their product vision. We helped them prioritize functionalities, scope the MVP, and establish a clear product strategy based on the UX research insights gathered.
Continuous medical training is crucial for saving lives.
The next challenge was to design a high-fidelity version of the MVP. Our design team found it interesting to create a medical training simulation that feels intuitive right off the bat and does not require additional instructions. Our common goal was to enable healthcare providers in the most remote corners of the world to engage in stimulating, realistic training scenarios.
Another core idea of the app is to empower healthcare workers, regardless of their experience level, to not only participate in simulations but also lead them. The app concept, therefore, enables individual practice and training scenarios with a team of healthcare professionals in a multiplayer mode.
Additionally, we had to consider cultural nuances such as the strong hierarchical pecking order between doctors and nurses. When preparing them for an emergency patient's arrival, it is important to gather them as a team to reduce the risk of oversight and maximize the likelihood of optimal treatment.
We have handed over the design concept to the breathe medical team for implementation and are excited about the forthcoming launch of this medical training solution on the market.
Thomas and his team are currently piloting the simulation training framework and app at different medical facilities all over the world.
Get in touch with them if you're interested in giving it a try.
