D3.2 MS Assistant

Principal Investigator

Ljilja Ruzic Kascak, Ph.D. & Jon Sanford, M.Arch.

Overview

Many people with Multiple Sclerosis (MS) experience a significant decline in their abilities due to the progression of condition after five years after they are diagnosed. Following this period, they are likely to need support to coping with and managing the functional limitations of MS as they age. Mobile health applications provide potential support for the self-management of the condition. MS Assistant is a health and wellness self-management app that assists individuals aging with MS. Developed as a dissertation project by Ljilja Ruzic Kascak, who recently graduated with a Ph.D. in Industrial Design from Georgia Tech, the evidence-based app was designed to help users track their symptoms and share health data with providers. To provide social support, the app also enables users to interact with other people with MS throughout the world. Moreover, the app was designed to be educational, providing the latest research, health tips, and MS-related information.

hand holding phone with MS app openman and woman in wheelchairs holding hands and smiling

Project Status

We have completed the HTML protoype of the app, focusing on the interface for users with MS. Our next step is to develop the side of the app that clinicians would use. To drive this design, we are exploring what data clinicians would like to have reported from their patients with MS.

Publications

Ruzic, L., Mahajan, H. P., & Sanford, J. A. (2018). Universally designed mHealth app for individuals aging with multiple sclerosis. Proceedings of the Third International Conference on Universal Accessibility in the Internet of Things and Smart Environments (SMART ACCESSIBILITY 2018), 29-35. 978-1-61208-622-4

Ruzic L., & Sanford J. A. (2017) Universal Design Mobile Interface Guidelines (UDMIG) for an Aging Population. In: Marston H., Freeman S., Musselwhite C. (eds) Mobile e-Health. Human–Computer Interaction Series. Springer, Cham 10.1007/978-3-319-60672-9_2  

Ruzic, L. & Sanford, J. A. (2017). Usability of mobile consumer applications for individuals aging with Multiple Sclerosis. In M. Antona and C. Stephanidis (Eds.): Universal Access in Human-Computer Interaction. Design and Development Approaches and Methods, Part I, (pp. 258-276). Springer International Publishing. 10.1007/978-3-319-58706-6_21

Harrington, C. N., Ruzic, L., & Sanford, J. A. (2017). Universally Accessible mHealth Apps for Older Adults: Towards Increasing Adoption and Sustained Engagement. In M. Antona and C. Stephanidis (Eds.): Universal Access in Human-Computer Interaction. Human and Technological Environments, Part III, (pp. 3-12). Springer International Publishing. 10.1007/978-3-319-58700-4_1

Ruzic, L., Lee, S., Liu, Y. E., & Sanford, J. A. (2016) Development of Universal Design Mobile Interface Guidelines (UDMIG) for aging population. In M, Antona & C, Stephanidis (Eds.), Universal Access in Human-Computer Interaction. Methods, Techniques, and Best Practices (pp. 98-108). Springer International Publishing. 10.1007/978-3-319-40250-5_10

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