Lingshuang Kong, Yumei Feng and Shichao Wang · CLIENT: EasyMed
EasyMed, an AI-powered mobile application, aims to assist users in quickly and accurately identifying interactions between drugs and between drugs and food. It achieves this with a notable accuracy rate of 93% and a comprehensive database containing 200,000 drug-drug pairs and 330,000 drug-food pairs. Additionally, EasyMed offers functionalities such as drug list management and access to informative articles on polypharmacy, catering to a diverse range of user needs.
Press Kit
- Unique Properties
- EasyMed is an AI-powered mobile application, primarily aiming to empower users to swiftly and accurately identify drug-to-drug and drug-to-food interactions, mitigating potential consequences effectively, with an impressive 93% accuracy rate and a comprehensive database covering 200k drug-drug pairs and 330k drug-food pairs. To cater to a broader range of use cases, we also added additional functionalities such as drug list management and access to informative articles about polypharmacy.
- Dimensions & Packaging
- Utilizing Figma, our process involved creating designs with a focus on accessibility and inclusivity for senior users. We adhered to Usability Heuristics, Microsoft Responsible AI principles, and Age-friendly Design principles. This commitment is reflected in features like legible fonts, proper color contrast, color-blind friendliness, straightforward interactions, and detailed guidance.
The app is also responsive for all screen sizes and universally applicable for all Android and iOS phones. - Tags
- healthcare, artificial intelligence, polypharmacy, wellness, accessible design, age-friendly design, mobile application
- Production Technology
- We developed DeepDDI, an AI computational framework using drug-drug and drug-food pairs' compound structural information as inputs to generate drug-drug interaction (DDI) and drug-food interaction (DFI) types as human-readable sentences.
Leveraging cutting-edge AI technologies, we also offer users accessible features including drug and food recognition, text-to-speech functionalities, and clear explanations for complex medical terminology. - Design Challenge
- Designing AI products is challenging but rewarding. It differs from traditional product design, requiring consideration of technology feasibility and principles like the Responsible AI framework for reliability, transparency, and inclusivity.
Designing for accessibility is another challenge. It allowed us to empathize with the problems older adults face with technology. This experience has inspired us to explore designing for other groups that require special attention in the future. - Project Duration
- The project started in January 2023 and finished in November 2023
- Operation Flow
- The app offers five main features:
(1) All-in-one Homepage: Easily check interactions, access daily articles on polypharmacy, and get personalized pill reminders from EasyMed's homepage.
(2) Drug Interaction Checker: Effortlessly search or scan a drug to check interactions, stay updated on side effects, and add to your list for future reference.
(3) Food Interaction Checker: Snap a photo of food items or product barcodes for a thorough analysis, receiving alerts for potential adverse interactions with your medications.
(4) My Drug List & Reminders: Maintain a detailed drug list and receive customized reminders for timely and accurate dosing.
(5) Explore: Access personalized articles on polypharmacy, filter articles by category, and enjoy interactive quizzes for enhanced learning and engagement. - Research
- To comprehend the current problem landscape, we extensively conducted secondary research, reviewing over 50 papers and statistics.
Gathering qualitative insights on stakeholders' perceptions of adverse drug interactions, we conducted six in-depth interviews, involving older adults, healthcare practitioners, and the general public. Subsequently, we created three personas representing different user groups.
Following the design of the hi-fi prototype, we sought validation and identified relevant issues by inviting five participants to test our prototype. - Inspiration
- Did you know nearly 500 million older adults globally face significant polypharmacy risks, with a 50% higher chance of adverse drug interactions when using five or more medications? Additionally, they encounter over two potential drug-food interactions monthly, sometimes leading to disabilities and deaths. However, clinical research for all potential drug interactions is time-consuming and resource-intensive. Moreover, overwhelmed medical professionals can't offer guidance to every patient.
- Image Credits
- All images and videos are created by EasyMed.
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