임산부를 위한 자가진단 의료기기 및 서비스의 사용자 경험디자인

Background In spite of recently recognized importance of u-healthcare services, the studies on u-healthcare for pregnant women have been insufficient. Moreover, the medical environment for pregnant women in Korea is getting worse, especially in rural areas. Thus, medical services are needed to help pregnant women diagnose their health themselves and feel reassured about their fetus’ status.

Methods To understand medical diagnoses of pregnant women, a related literature survey, in-depth interviews, and focus group discussions were conducted. Then, a user journey map was drawn and pain points were analyzed. Through such a user experience design process, this study proposed and evaluated a new medical device and service concept for relieving the pain points of pregnant women.

Results The investigations on pregnant women showed that they had experienced much anxiety because they had no way to know about the state of their fetus without visiting the hospital. And they had also suffered much inconvenience induced by a long wait time when visiting the hospital. In order to reduce the pregnant women’s anxiety and inconvenience, this study proposed a medical device for self-diagnosis named Fetus Assistor and a new medical service based on it. The evaluation results of the developed prototype indicated the high satisfaction of pregnant women.

Conclusion The medical device and service proposed in this study may allow pregnant women to self-diagnose their health conditions, thereby relieving their anxiety about the state of their baby. Additionally, it may be helpful for doctors to diagnose pregnant women more accurately by taking their biometric data easily.