O.T AI
Case Study
This AI-powered tool for occupational therapists focuses on boosting cognitive therapy abilities. It intends to address the varied degrees of experience among therapists by offering an adaptable and inclusive tool that boosts knowledge and skills using artificial intelligence.
Role
UX Strategy, Research, UX/UI Design
Timeline
May 2022 - Present
Team Size
4 Members
The Purpose
The objective was to develop a user-friendly application grounded in field research, designed to support therapists from various backgrounds and experiences in their occupational therapy practice.
Research
Competitor Analysis
A comprehensive analysis of direct and indirect competitors, including Bites, Bright, Uptodate, Cognishine, Wizcare, ChatGPT-4, and Siri, was conducted. The evaluation focused on their capabilities and limitations, revealing a gap in the market for a specialized application catering to the unique needs of occupational therapists in cognitive therapy.
I explored various technologies in cognitive therapy to understand the existing tools and identify gaps. Here are the standout competitors:
Each offers unique capabilities but none provide the comprehensive support our application aims to deliver.
The competitor analysis highlighted a gap in the market for a specialized application that provides targeted support and resources for therapists in cognitive therapy. Our application fills this niche, offering specialized tools and resources that address the specific needs of occupational therapists.
Survey
A survey was distributed among the occupational therapy community, capturing a broad range of demographic information, professional experiences, and preferences in professional knowledge acquisition. Follow-up group sessions with occupational therapists were conducted to gather deeper insights and identify challenges in cognitive therapy from diverse professional perspectives.
Group sessions
Conducted group sessions with occupational therapists to gain insights and identify issues in cognitive treatment from a variety of professional viewpoints. These insights paved the way for additional research and development. The workshops were useful in understanding and identifying the occupational therapists' pain points and the issues they were facing.
System Conceptualization
The group sessions revealed the complexities encountered by therapists, emphasizing the lack of experience and expertise as significant hurdles. There was a strong desire for a sense of community and a platform that could provide tailored guidance and information to enhance their practice.
The Challenges
Occupational therapists play a crucial role in helping individuals regain independence and improve their quality of life. However, they often face challenges due to diverse levels of understanding and expertise in cognitive therapy. Our goal was to bridge this gap by creating a tool that is accessible, user-friendly, and beneficial for all occupational therapists, regardless of their experience level.
Pain Points
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Lack of Professional Advice: Many individuals requiring occupational therapy lack access to professional guidance. This absence of expert input can lead to ineffective or incorrect practices, ultimately slowing down progress.
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Absence of Technology in the Field: The occupational therapy sector has been slow to adopt technological advancements. This lack of technology means that users miss out on the benefits of modern tools that could enhance their learning and practice experience.
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Access to the Field for Daily Practice: Users expressed a need for a solution that allows them to easily integrate occupational therapy practices into their daily routine. The ability to access and utilize the product regularly is crucial for the consistent practice and improvement of skills.
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Introducing Non-Technological Users to a Simple Product: A significant portion of the target audience is not tech-savvy. Therefore, it is essential to develop a product that is straightforward to use and does not overwhelm users with complex technological features.
Occupational Themes for The System
The pain points identified in the group sessions directly informed the development of the AI system, the main themes:
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Collaboration and treatment recruitment
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Denial or lack of awareness: a. The patient; b. His family
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Adjustment of the task or goal, as well as its proper ranking
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There is a mismatch between knowledge and therapy application
Our Solution
We developed an application grounded in extensive research and user-centric design principles. This innovative tool offers diagnostic search phrases, alternative treatments, and a supportive community, catering to the unique needs of occupational therapists in cognitive therapy.​
Impact and Future Directions
The application has the potential to enhance therapists' abilities in handling a wide range of cognitive therapy scenarios, thereby improving the quality of care in occupational therapy. As we look to the future, we aim to expand the application's features and further tailor it to meet the evolving needs of occupational therapists.
Design Process & Continuous Research
Design Thinking Workshop
The workshop had two phases: the first involved persona creation and empathy mapping, while the second focused on focused refinement and solution development. Participants then interviewed each other to identify challenges faced by the persona, constructed identification maps, and generated ideas to address these challenges. This process was guided by principles of inclusivity, ensuring a wide range of experiences and challenges were represented. The participants developed personas representing diverse challenges in cognitive therapy and created empathy maps to understand their experiences.
In depth - User Interviews
In the second phase, We conducted in-depth interviews with seven individuals, focusing on their specific system requirements, evaluations of the proposed solution, and aesthetic preferences. How they will need to system to be built for there needs, what do they see as important as future users of the app, main issues they are dealing with and how the app will help them in the field.
Open Card Sorting
The interviews participants, which included a diverse range of potential users, helped to shape a hierarchical structure for the application's functionality through card sorting. We used open card sort to see how our participants formed groups that made sense to them and then named each group in a way that they believe accurately describes the content. We saw a lot of similarities between the hierarchies and thoughts for how the app will be constructed.
The Persona
Anna Murray
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44 year old
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Occupational therapy practitioner
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Married with three kids
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19 years of experience
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Lives in Surrey, UK
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Middle income level
Goals & Needs
Her primary goal is to find ways to engage her patients with memory retention strategies. Her mission is to help patients maintain and even improve their memory despite cognitive decline.
Pain Points
Private Care in the clinic the challenges in managing private care for patients, ensuring that treatment is personalized and meets individual needs​.
Difficulties in motivating patients to practice between sessions and engage consistently with the therapy plan.
She treats a patient with cognitive decline and depression who experiences significant memory impairments. Despite practicing memory recall strategies, the patient remains unmotivated and dismisses the exercises due to worsening depression.
User Journey
This is Anna's journey with the app:
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User Flow
I started creating the user flow after obtaining all the data.
First Use
O.T AI users start by choosing a field-related theme to customize their contact with the AI. They then talk to the system about its capabilities, get personalized suggestions, and discuss useful tactics, incorporating into their professional routine.
Second Use
The user revisits their conversation history to effortlessly resume talks with the O.T AI system regarding specified subjects in the second usage. This feature encourages continuous engagement and deeper research of previously covered subjects, helping users apply insights and tactics.
Wireframes
Wireframes were developed to ensure confidentiality and facilitate user-friendly interactions. The platform supports partly anonymous use, encouraging participation in forums and private discussions, and catering to therapists with varied backgrounds and experiences.
UI Design
Onboarding
The O.T AI app's registration and opening screens are built for security and exclusivity, providing exclusively to qualified occupational therapists. New users must go through a rigorous verification procedure in which their credentials are extensively reviewed to validate their professional standing. This tight registration guarantees that only authorized users have access to the platform, resulting in a professional environment suited to specialized debates and exchanges. Once authenticated, therapists may log in and explore the app's features designed to help them improve their professional practice.
Main Flow
The main flow of the O.T AI revolves around two essential screens: the chat bot and theme choosing. On the theme selection box, users can pick specific themes for discussion based on their professional interests or current issues. This pick then leads the interaction to the chat bot screen, where users can participate in deep conversations with the AI system. This arrangement is intended to imitate a concentrated, interactive learning environment, assisting therapists in investigating treatment procedures or fine-tuning their approach to patient care.
User Profile
The O.T AI user profile has been carefully developed to encourage community engagement among occupational therapists. It displays specific user information and preferences, hence improving platform communication. Each profile contains postings and activities, allowing users to follow others, view their contributions, and share expert advice. This design not only promotes information exchange, but it also facilitates the establishment of a professional network in which therapists may collaborate to improve their practices.
Reflections
Challenges & Solutions
One of the main challenges was designing an inclusive and user-friendly system that caters to therapists with varying levels of expertise. This was overcome by incorporating feedback from user research and group sessions into the design process, ensuring the final product is accessible and beneficial to all users.
Learning & Growth
This project provided valuable insights into the field of occupational therapy and the importance of empathy and understanding in design. It highlighted the need for a community-oriented system that offers more than just information, but also provides connection, support, and tailored guidance.
Our Solution
We developed an application grounded in extensive research and user-centric design principles. This innovative tool offers diagnostic search phrases, alternative treatments, and a supportive community, catering to the unique needs of occupational therapists in cognitive therapy.
Impact and Future Directions
The application has the potential to enhance therapists' abilities in handling a wide range of cognitive therapy scenarios, thereby improving the quality of care in occupational therapy. As we look to the future, we aim to expand the application's features and further tailor it to meet the evolving needs of occupational therapists.
Conclusion
This case study highlights the significance of the occupational therapy project in addressing the diverse needs of therapists in the field. The resulting application is expected to enhance therapists' abilities in handling a wide range of scenarios, thereby improving the quality of care in occupational therapy. Future developments may focus on expanding the application's features and further tailoring it to meet the evolving needs of occupational therapists. At O.T AI, we believe in the power of technology to redefine the boundaries of occupational therapy. Our application is more than just a tool; it's a gateway to new possibilities, enabling therapists to navigate the complexities of cognitive therapy with confidence and precision. By integrating innovative AI technology and a user-centric design, we are committed to supporting therapists in their mission to improve lives.
Join us on this journey of innovation and empowerment. Discover how O.T AI can revolutionize your practice and help you make a lasting impact in the world of occupational therapy.