Dr. Zhang’s research involves designing, developing, and evaluating novel technologies to support information collection, decision making, and collaboration in highly dynamic healthcare settings.
In an NSF-funded project, we worked on how to design hands-free technologies (e.g., smart glasses) to help Emergency Medical Services (EMS) providers collect, integrate, share, and act upon patient data in real-time.
After getting IRB certified, Dr. Zhang asked me to lead the HCI research team to investigate the practices, behaviors, and various cognitive aids that EMS providers use on the field.
I co-authored my first paper and presented this paper at the CSCW conference held in Oct 2021.
In a follow-up study, I also interviewed EMS providers to understand the challenges they encountered in their work practice. During the interviews, we also discussed various ways in which we could make their work easier through novel technologies and interaction modalities. Part of the findings that emerged through our interview study was reported in a paper accepted to AMIA 2021, entitled “User needs and challenges in information sharing between pre-hospital and hospital emergency care providers”. Other ongoing work with Dr. Zhang includes a systematic review of the use of smart glasses for remote care coordination and participatory design workshops. I have another two papers co-authored with Dr. Zhang, one is under review submitted to CSCW 2022, and another recently accepted into the Journal of Medical Internet Research
The various phases of the project I led and conducted are given below:
Phase 1: Transcribed and analyzed data from EMS video simulations and categorize it, using quantitative, qualitative, and statistical research methods, into pre-determined information types to create and form the basis for future information systems that could technologically aid existing trauma resuscitation methods
Phase 2: Interviewing paramedics, carrying out focus groups to get feedback on analysis and the first set of user-centered designs. Brainstormed and deduced from the data insights to conduct Phase 3
Phase 3: Conducting Design Workshops, and testing our prototype of the smart technology we’ve developed.
Duration:
March 2020 – Present
The detailed designs of this research are confidential, however, the papers are worth checking out and I will be happy to share more references upon request.