Date of Award

Spring 5-30-2020

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Industrial Design

Department

Industrial Design

First Advisor

Paolo Cardini

Second Advisor

Agatha Haines

Third Advisor

Stephanie Castilla

Abstract

This project digs deep into issues of accessibility, education, and transparency for those who create health data. By using surveys, interviews, user testing, and secondary research, this project aims to both provide a possible solution while also underlining the market resistance to a more equal exchange between consumer and producer. Data collection is a part of everyone’s lives. Privacy is a hot topic. Many people misunderstand data use, and it seems corporations are taking advantage of that. Our bodies and our devices produce and create data, and that information is then used for research, profit, or general consumer benefit. This is just as true when it comes to medical data. Though it is protected information, patients do not know how it gets used, who uses it, and do not have comprehensive access. Legally, we should have access to our medical records, yet there is no way to view information in a comprehensive way in one place. It gets harder and harder to remember years of medical history for yourself, let alone family history, some of which may be crucial to diagnosis. Some patients have been charged for unknown bills, with no way to track down the entity that ordered those costly tests. There is currently no way to see if and how data from wearable technology is adopted into health records. The lack of comprehensive record availability to view patient histories and the lack of accessibility to programs like wearable technology highlight the limitations of electronic health records (EHR) and hospital systems that silo information.

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