Extended Reality Crash Cart Medications
I started on a new series of projects involving new scenarios from Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS). This mixed reality app would allow users to practice CPR and advanced cardiac life support skills in XR instead of in the traditional class setting. This was a very exciting series of projects for me because I was able to help consult on these projects by pulling in my past experiences from being a nurse. This project involved rethinking how a user could administer medications from a crash cart in an XR emergency scenario.
Figma Prototype of Crash Cart Menu
Figma Prototype of editing dose of medication
Video showing the XR menu and interaction in the hololens
Understanding the Issue
The challenge was to re-imagine how crash cart medications are administered in mixed reality. In a normal emergency scenario, the healthcare professional would open the top drawer of the crash cart and grab necessary medications and prep and give. In mixed reality, administering medications is not so straightforward, and I had to think of a way that the user could quickly choose desired medication, adjust the dose, prepare the medication, and then give the medication when ready.
Goal
The goal was to re-create a new mixed reality crash card medication drawer that would allow the user to quickly choose desired medication, adjust the dose, prepare the medication, and then give the medication when ready.
The Problem
Here were some of the problems we wanted to solve when discussing this project with the team.
Insight #1: Utilizing medication visuals and 3d models vs just making a menu with just text (medication names and dose)
Insight #2: Allowing the user to adjust dose, prep (or draw) medication, and then give
Insight #3: How the user will access the medications from the drawer, and how they will move it
Based on these insights I started to research and wireframe options .
Process
I started with researching crash carts and the medications needed in the drawer. From researching we compiled a list of 29 medications that are commonly used across different crash carts. Pulling from my own medical background I was able to confirm accuracy of the drug list, but in order to narrow this list down further we received a second opinion and consulted with an emergency doctor.
Research
Interview with a Medical Doctor
I conducted a user interview with a medical doctor and received great feedback about how the codes are run, how medications are ordered in a code, and how the crash cart is utilized. These were some of the insights from the meeting:
Crash cart medications are a set of medications set aside in an emergency trolley that need to be accessed and utilized quickly
Crash cart medications can be pulled out of the drawer and placed elsewhere
A step for “preparing or drawing” medications is a necessary step during emergency code
Doctor will announce “Please prepare 1mg of epinephrine” during code, and will also announce “Give 1mg of epinephrine” at a later time
Medications are mostly color coded
12 essential medications in crash cart, listed to the left
This meeting was very insightful because we were able to narrow down our original list of 29 medications to 12 medications, we were also made aware that adding in in a step where user can “prep” medication before administering would be more realistic and beneficial to practicing the scenario.
Designs + Solutions
After researching, I started exploring a few different options.
Option #1 was the thinking of the easiest and fastest way to develop a medication menu. This menu would be easy for the developers to build and easily scalable to accommodate for future medications that might be added.
This option would be a list of drugs from the crash cart (no images involved)
Each drug would have a draw button
When “draw” is pressed, the button would be updated with a “give” button
When “give” is pressed the button would administer the drug, and “draw” button would reappear to allow user to order second dose
Option #2 would involve 3d models of medications and take more time to develop.
This option would utilize 3d models of each drug
Each drug would have a “draw” button on it
When “draw” is pressed the user would then see it updated to “give”
When “give” is pressed, the 3d model would change and appear out of its box in a ready to give state (such as a syringe)
A prompt would appear next to the prepared medication to prompt user to give
Once drug is administered, the menu will confirm that it was given.
I was definitely pushing for option #2 as having medication visuals would provide a more realistic experience for users. We ran informal AB tests within our team and during our initial research option #1 was favored because of the fact that it would be easily scalable, and it would take less time to develop. However, later on the team voted to pursue option #2 because although it would take more time to develop, the use of images would greatly benefit the user.
Initially I started wire framing various menu’s mapping out what option #1 could look like as this was the favored version in the beginning of the project. However, as the project continued and more research was done, we were able to narrow down our drug list and found that making 3d models of the medications was more feasible than we thought. My later half of the wire frames involved the medication visual images and option #2 was the more optimal design.
Iterations
Early Designs
Option #1: My initial iterations did not involve any medication visuals as option #1 was favored amongst the team. This menu would allow the user to choose their medication, edit the dose, prep it, and give it in a “sub-menu.”
Option #2: My designs progressively changed with more feedback. In this design I wanted to save space and minimize the use of sub menu’s. My next designs had progressed where instead of having a large negative space dedicated to a “sub-menu” I decided to try a menu where the user could draw, edit, and give the medication all from one interface.
Option #3: I was eventually given feedback from the developers that the use of 3d models of the medications was feasible and that I could try incorporating this option into the designs. These versions were definitely my favorite as the visuals would provide a more realistic experience for the users, and the often color coded medications would be easily scannable with an image. This version was well received by the team. It was agreed that the medication visuals would play an important role in allowing the user to quickly identify their desired medications.
Solutions
Insight #1: Medication visuals
Solution to insight #1: Our solution was to use 2d medication models as the visuals instead of 3d models as this would save the developers time and still serve its purpose of allowing the user to quickly scan the images.
Insight #2: Allow user to adjust dose, prep, and give medication
Solution to insight #2: Once the user clicks on the desired medication, our solution was to have the menu enlarge and appear as a modal with more details about the medication. Within this modal we could both fit large amounts of detail and text, and allow a number pad pop out to appear. Once the medication is prepared, it will appear in the main menu with a “Give” button.
Insight #3: How will user access medications from the crash cart
Solution to insight #3: Once the user gets near the crash cart, they will see a floating modal to “open” the drug drawer. Once the button to open the modal is clicked, the crash cart medication menu will open up and the user will be able to freely move and pin the menu as desired.
What I Learned
I was stretched and challenged in so many ways during this project.
I really learned to think about the users body mechanics and how best to minimize arm gestures as much as possible.
I also learned about user interviewing and really enjoyed being able to interview the doctor about her thoughts on this project.
Next Steps
Moving forward there are a few things I would want to do with this project.
As this project is being built I would love to be involed in the QA process of the finished project.
I would also love to user test this product with the doctors and subject matter experts in order to really understand where we could make improvements