Teaching

In order to involve players more closely and receive feedback on individual basketball training sessions and exercises, a user-centered app for coaches and players is to be created. The app allows trainers to create training plans and obtain feedback after training, for example to prevent injuries.

When a patient is transported to the hospital emergency room in an ambulance, the data collected during the ambulance journey is transmitted in advance to the emergency room. This allows the staff to anticipate the arrival of patients and organize their care accordingly. While the volume of data is a valuable aid in patient care, it also opens other challenges. For instance, it presents the doctors and nurses providing care with the task of filtering out precisely the information that is most relevant and urgent to the patient’s health problem and the associated treatment. An interface is to be developed to support this process.

In an exploratory process, prototypes will be developed that enable children to make music together over a distance. The main aim is to give isolated children (e.g. due to illness) an opportunity to get in touch with their friends through a meaningful activity. The aim is to create haptic “instruments” from simple materials (and possibly mobile devices) that are equipped with sensors/actuators and can communicate with each other.

We are currently developing routes for digital scavenger hunts in urban areas with Caritas Düsseldorf. Similar to geochaching, seniors can use their smartphone to run local routes and receive digital information about various points or can test their knowledge in quizzes.

But what about seniors who are no longer mobile and can no longer follow the routes on site. The possibility of a virtual city walk should now be created for this target group. The routes should be prepared with the help of Caritas and interested seniors and then technically implemented in this work. Which technology (tablet, VR, large screen) is used can be determined as part of the preparation of the thesis or, in the case of a master’s thesis, can also be part of the scientific investigation. In a user-centered process, prototypes should be iteratively tested and further developed on site with seniors.

As part of our funded project CoCre-HIT, we are developing an interactive compendium for technology developers and HCI researchers to understand, carry out and reflect on co-creation or participatory design in the field of digital health. Part of this, and the focus of this thesis, is the development of an e-learning and project management tool specifically aimed at participatory design, which helps users plan an R&D eHealth project.

The layperson resuscitation rate in Germany is comparatively low compared to other countries. In addition to numerous campaigns to promote knowledge in the field of first aid, more and more digital applications are being developed in the health sector. In particular, group-specific apps, such as children’s emergency apps or general first aid apps, are underrepresented in this offering. In addition, most of the existing applications are aimed at prevention and imparting knowledge, but not at providing support in acute emergency or stressful situations. User-friendly and intuitive user guidance as well as an aesthetic design are often missing in the corresponding applications. Therefore, requirements should be determined that should be placed on app-based emergency assistance in order to provide users with the most positive user experience possible. The focus of this work is on the aspects of design that convey a feeling of security or insecurity when taking first aid measures. Using an application example of a mobile children’s emergency app, initial requirements were collected through research and expert interviews and these were implemented in a prototype. The prototype was then tested in a field study with a group of parents. In a given application scenario, the test subjects were asked to carry out first aid measures on a first aid doll with the support of the app. The results showed that the application itself, as well as the feeling of being guided through guidelines-compliant and understandable instructions, can give users a feeling of security. Furthermore, the results showed that the expectations and further wishes for the application itself depend heavily on the personal preferences and experiences of the users. This work therefore forms a good basis for further building on the results and developing an application that can be used intuitively and provides support in acute stressful situations.

Smartphones and the digital world are becoming increasingly important in society. Older people also want and should be able to take part in these offers. Smartphones and their operation often pose major problems. One of the biggest difficulties here is learning and correctly executing touch gestures in everyday life. In this work, an application for learning and practicing touch gestures is being developed specifically for this target group. The basis for this is knowledge about the learning behavior of seniors, age-related limitations, as well as an analysis of relevant apps on the market.

The aim of this thesis was to find out whether existing digital assistance methods to support the operation of mobile devices can help people use their devices more independently and competently.

Depression is one of the most common mental illnesses. According to estimates, around 322 million people are affected by this disease. In many of these cases, at least part of the responsibility for the sick person lies with their relatives. At the same time, however, there is a lack of the right resources to support relatives in dealing with depression. This is where this master’s thesis comes in. The aim is to develop a concept for a digital application that can support relatives of people with depression in dealing with the situation. In order to ensure that the requirements analysis is as realistic as possible, the design thinking methodology was used. In addition to an analysis of the current specialist literature, interviews were carried out with people suffering from depression and their relatives. It turned out that depression deprived most of the relatives of their sense of security and connection. Furthermore, many complained about a loss of their own autonomy and the feeling of being helpless in the face of the illness. Based on these findings, the concept for an app was developed that enables sick people and their relatives to communicate with each other more easily again and thereby build a feeling of connection and security. The survey with 74 potential users showed that the concept was well received by the target group and can largely meet the requirements. In the next step, the concept must be implemented as a prototype in order to determine whether the application will also be helpful in practice.

The digital twin – or also known as digital twin – is receiving a lot of attention in the field of health and medicine recently as it could lead to personalized and more precise treatment by simulating humans in real time. However, especially when using technologies in medicine, ethical questions are increasingly coming to the fore, including questions about fairness and equal treatment. This work examines the challenges of using digital twins in medicine in relation to discrimination. Using a scoping review and qualitative interviews with six experts, discrimination risks were examined and the handling of potentially discriminatory technologies in medicine was analyzed. Recommendations for fair deployment were also discussed. The main results of the work show that digital twins have some risks that can lead to discrimination against people. The question of how to deal with possible discrimination could not be conclusively clarified and requires further research. It is also clear from the research that there are some recommendations and proposed solutions for a fair digital twin. However, there is still a lack of concrete implementation and reviews to eliminate the identified risks.

Fitness apps are often used as tools to monitor and support users on their path to a healthier life. The demand for new, innovative ideas for a fitness app is constantly increasing. The developers are faced with the challenge of tying users to their fitness routine long-term and continuously. The needs and goals of the users should come first. A commonly used approach involves gamified processes, according to Shauchenka et al. (2014). Gamification is the application of game principles in a non-game context. The developers hope that the elements and advantages of games, such as community and rewards, will give users the motivation they lack to be physically active. If you pair this concept with a user-centered concept, an ideal app could be developed that combines all of the users’ needs and goals in one and is fun thanks to the playful element. This thesis first deals with the topic of gamification in more detail in order to discuss the advantages and limitations and, based on this, develops an app design for a fitness app in a user-centered process.

This work describes the development of an immersive VR application that is intended to improve the education of preoperative patients. The patients are older people who are about to undergo serious heart surgery. The aim is to develop an application that can be used in everyday clinical practice at the Düsseldorf University Hospital. In the application, the upcoming process is shown and explained directly before and after the operation. This should make patients feel better prepared and reduce stress and anxiety. The research shows that similar approaches have already shown success with other target groups. Interviews with patients show that an application does not have to focus purely on conveying information, but should also address the emotional level. Based on these findings, an application designed for the target group is developed, which is tested in a qualitative study. The results of this study show that an interactive VR application is well received by the target group. The application largely meets the requirements placed on it, but the areas of interaction and display should be improved in a further iteration so that the application can be used in everyday clinical practice.

As part of this bachelor’s thesis, the technical acceptance of e-prescriptions from different user perspectives is determined using the UTAUT model. As a basis for the determination, the current terminology and the process from the issuance of the prescription to its redemption are discussed and the technical infrastructure that enables a practice to issue an e-prescription is worked out, with particular consideration of its added value and the applicable data protection law. In the further part of the work, two models of technical acceptance are presented, one of which is explained in more detail with regard to the e-prescription.

To answer the research question, qualitative interviews are then carried out with patients, a doctor and a pharmacist according to the questions of the Unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT by Venkatesh et al.).

The analysis of the qualitative interviews shows that the technology acceptance model can demonstrate a high variance in the actual use of the e-prescription for almost all experts. On the other hand, it can be said that doctors are rather suspicious of e-prescriptions due to current technical difficulties.

Communicating over distance can be challenging for older people, especially if they cannot use current communication methods such as smartphones. This can lead to a feeling of exclusion from the everyday lives of their loved ones and thus to loneliness. This problem has been further exacerbated by the Covid-19 pandemic. Lockdowns meant that people could hardly or not at all visit their relatives.

This work therefore deals with the development of the user interface TAMI for older people, which enables them to stay in touch with a relative or friend over a distance. Standard chat software is used to connect to the device. Looking at other approaches shows that sending picture, text and voice messages can offer older people a way to better participate in the lives of their loved ones. However, the use of screens, especially touchscreens, can lead to complications in older people, which is why they are not used in the approach presented in this work. For easy operation, each control element is only assigned one function.

Text messages and images received on TAMI are sent using a built-in

Thermal printer printed out, voice messages can also be played. Voice messages and pre-written text messages can be sent from TAMI using the buttons. It is possible to set the current mood using a slider and send it or to ask whether the relative has time to make a phone call.

TAMI was tested as part of a user study with three people. It turned out that the device is able to connect older people with a younger relative. All test subjects reported more frequent communication over the duration of the test.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), approximately 2.3 million women worldwide develop breast cancer and approximately 570,000 women develop cervical cancer each year. However, if these cancers are detected early, those affected can be offered better treatment options. Women can have a screening for these two types of cancer starting at the age of 20. In order to increase awareness of this, especially among younger women, this work deals with a user-centered app design that reminds and encourages preventative care. This thesis accompanies the entire design thinking process, from the idea to the finished prototype.