PI: Prof. Larry J. Leifer

Abstract

This research seeks to explore the application of design thinking for improved healthcare delivery through the use of design collaboration technology for distributed care. Specifically, we will use the groundbreaking Google Glass head-mounted display as a technology platform. We expect to: (1) develop software applications to enable remote connectivity in a healthcare setting; (2) characterize system usage, data integration, and data visualization capabilities; and (3) conduct a pilot study involving a medical scenario to examine the boundaries of hands-free mobile augmented reality (AR) for distributed collaboration. The proposed study impacts design thinking research through (1) examining the use of technology for complex distributed problem solving through interdisciplinary collaboration; (2) studying the impact of human augmentation on healthcare team performance through enhanced visualization and auditory capabilities; and (3) exploring an AR system’s ability to influence behavior change in situations requiring acute decision-making through interaction between centralized experts and point-of-impact delivery personnel.