iOS • app concept • passion project
MedReminder
The app that empowers people to manage their medications effectively and stay on track with their treatment plans
WHAT I DID
Research, Wireframing, Prototyping, Usability Testing
TOOLS
Figma, Miro, Otter, Google Forms
DURATION
March - July 2023
OVERVIEW
This project allowed me to combine my passion for design with my desire to positively impact people's lives, promoting medication adherence and improving health and well-being.
Definition
Medication nonadherence is when a patient does not follow the instructions for taking the medicine: takes it at incorrect times, skips doses, or takes more than prescribed
Problem
~117 million people
in the US live with long-term conditions
of them forget to take their medications
~50%
1 in 5
of new prescriptions are never filled
How might we help people to stay on track with their medications?
✦ The app will provide reminders to take medications at the prescribed time
✦ The app will remind users to get refills before they run out
DESIGN PROCESS FOR THIS PROJECT
RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS
Interviews
I talked to 5 people between the age of 18-36 years old who filled out the questionnaire and said that they don’t take their medications for various reasons.
Here’s what I learned:
4 out of 5
forget to take their medications regularly
3 out of 5
rely on external reminders (pillbox, alarm)
3 out of 5
forget to refill their medications
FINAL DESIGN
Scan medication vs. Search medication
Users can save their medication by searching for a name or scanning the label/barcode. Both options have pros and cons, so I decided to combine them to ensure that users can choose the most convenient path.
Scan medication
Pros: quick, convenient, more accurate entry
Cons: relies on the user’s camera and a database which can be insufficient
Search medication
Pros: more flexibility for users, easier to maintain database
Cons: higher chance of incorrect entry, requires more effort from users
Reminders
The app explains how medication and refill reminders work and encourages users to set them up to receive notifications when it’s time to take or refill medications.
Medication reminders can be turned off, but this will not affect the schedule. If reminders are turned on, users will receive notifications to take their medications according to the set schedule.
To set up refill reminders, users provide the number of medications they have, specify when they should be notified for a refill (e.g. when 5 tablets are left in stock), and what time they want to receive this reminder.
The on/off switch allows users to choose their preferences.
Logging medications as taken
The medication logging feature offers two options to accommodate different user needs: users can mark each medication individually or multiple medications at once.
Log medication individually
Pros: more accurate entry, option to skip or reschedule a specific dose without affecting others
Cons: more time consuming, requires more effort from users, may be not convenient for complex schedules
Log multiple medication
Pros: saves time, requires fewer steps (compared to marking each medication separately)
Cons: no options to skip or reschedule, risk of logging medication mistakenly
Auto catch-up feature
When users add medications and set up the schedule, the system compares the present time and the schedule. If the time for taking the medication has passed, it offers to mark it as taken as a last step before saving it.
Users found this feature convenient because they didn't have to think about the doses they had already taken today. None of the apps I've tried had this feature, so I included it in the app.
REFLECTION
Being empathetic and respectful
allows making people to feel safe and be more candid about sensitive topics. Plus, sometimes you can discover practical solutions to your own daily challenges through conversations with interviewees.
Interested to know more?
Feel free to reach out at oleksa.sokolova@gmail.com