Design of a novel wearable system for healthcare applications: applying the user-centred design approach to SensHand device

Interest in using wearable devices for medical applications is increasing. A user’s user-centred design approach is needed to develop solutions that satisfy the users’ requirements. This study presents the results of a multistep co-creation process for the development and refinement of a wearable device named SensHand. It allows the fine assessment of upper limb motion for evaluating pathologies characterized by motor impairments. Two co-design workshops, involving clinical experts who already tested the prototype, and a multi-loop evaluation process involving 40 users were set up. Both technical testing and users testing were performed to evaluate the feasibility and reliability of the proposed solution. Novel mixed soft materials and a novel ring-shaped design were investigated to refine the prototype. Mechanical cyclic tensile tests ensured the robustness of the prototype. Users’ tests based on interviews and questionnaires focused on user’s experience and wearability to investigate the usability, acceptability, and intention of use of the device. Collected feedback from each test was used in the iterations for further improvements. The final solution included a soft silicon pad below the wrist unit to increase the wearability, and a ring-shaped solution for the finger unit with an insert in the lower part of the ring to increase the elasticity and conformability and delivered with five sizes to ensure adaptability to the anatomical size of the fingers. It received median values equal to 4.17, 4.25, and 4.13 out of 5 for wearability, attractiveness, and novelty, respectively during the final validation loop. Because of Covid-19 restrictions, the experimentation involved only people working in our university. To obtain the final validation, further tests will involve patients who could benefit from this solution during medical examinations.