Philips X Gates Foundation: AI for Maternal Healthcare
Timeline
August 2022 - July 2023
Capabilities
Design research and strategy, User Experience design, Service Design
Team
ADesign, Business, Engineering, Clinical across India, Europe, and the US
Overview
About the company
Philips Experience Design is focused on shaping experiences through human-centered design, applying deep human insights and cutting-edge technologies to create healthcare products and services.
Read more about Philips Experience Design here.
About the project
Philips and the Gates Foundation are developing a solution around the current Philips Handheld ultrasound, Lumify. The solution is an artificial intelligence (AI) driven application that will allow frontline healthcare workers to identify risks in pregnancies early on, and thus, improve the quality of antenatal care in low-income areas in India and Kenya.
The project further underscores Philips’ commitment to improving the lives of 2.5 billion people a year by 2030, including 400 million in underserved communities.
Read more about the project here.
My role
I worked with a cross-functional team including clinical experts, engineers, and business leads. As part of the design and research team of the project, I was mainly responsible for our India market. My main contributions involved:
Prototype iterations based on research insights and user feedback
Conceptualizing the end-to-end patient journey and service blueprint
Defining the value proposition of the product
Process Overview
1- My team and I worked closely with on-ground research teams to document and synthesize key user, stakeholder, and expert insights that shaped the product and user experience.
WIP research planning and insights analysis
2 - I conducted a market analysis to evaluate existing solutions and competitor capabilities, helping us identify opportunities to differentiate our product and address market gaps.
WIP Competitive Analysis of product hardware, digital interfaces, user experiences, and more
3 - My team and I conducted usability testing and analyzed feedback for the user flow to iterate further on the prototype
Snapshots of the usability testing process
User flow analysis based on testing
4 - My team and I iterated on a scalable service blueprint that covered everything from procurement and training to the product lifecycle, while considering user, business, and social needs.
Screenshot of a workshop conducted to brainstorm social impact of the product
WIP end-to-end patient journey map
WIP Service Blueprint
Outcome
During my time on the project, our team successfully developed a minimum viable product (Phase 1) to validate the concept! While Phase 1 is just the beginning, we also received positive reactions from users and stakeholders, including:
"Some of the features will be helpful even for Radiologists (who currently conduct ultrasounds)"
- Radiologist in India
"Would make my job so easy, I would end up trusting it. So I would be open to such a machine"
- General Practitioner in India
Since the machine is portable, I can carry it with me, maybe take it to health camps, to promote my facility and help others."
- OBGYN in India
At Philips Healthcare, one of my key contributions was leading and delivering an end-to-end patient journey informed by research insights and testing outcomes. These journeys formed the foundation for our value propositions with healthcare facility partners.
End-to-end patient journey
India - Current patient journey
India - Future patient journey
Kenya - Current patient journey
Kenya - Future patient journey
Reflections
Learnings
Working at Philips was a truly meaningful experience, as I collaborated with a large cross-functional team, working towards a great cause. Some of my most valuable learnings include:
I gained important skills in effective communication and collaboration within diverse teams. I gained valuable hands-on experience in designing alongside engineers, business professionals, developers, etc.
I had the opportunity to gain insight and contribute to a cause close to my heart—equitable healthcare for all.
Lastly, I gained valuable insights into designing with business metrics in mind, and validating designs using formal indicators to drive an iterative process.
This is just part of the story. I can't reveal all the details yet, but I'm happy to discuss—feel free to reach out!