Reimagining the Ecosystem for Neurodegenerative Care
Role
Lead
Interaction Design
UX
Interaction Design
UX
Agency
IDEO
An international pharmaceutical company approached IDEO with a question: is there an opportunity to create a multi-sided platform for neurodegenerative care in the US?
With a mission to change how these conditions are managed, a multidisciplinary team at IDEO set out to understand how such a platform could work and to map what value could be exchanged. The result was Cadence, a biometric care platform that helps care teams make informed treatment decisions through cutting-edge tools to track and relieve their symptoms.
For those who are unfamiliar with neurodegenerative conditions, they are progressive diseases that diminish or destroy the function of neurons in the brain. Millions of people are affected worldwide — most commonly by Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s Disease.
For those who are unfamiliar with neurodegenerative conditions, they are progressive diseases that diminish or destroy the function of neurons in the brain. Millions of people are affected worldwide — most commonly by Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s Disease.
THE PROJECT FOCUS
How might we bring greater understanding to neurodegenerative care through connection and personalization?
HOW WE GOT THERE
Over 23 weeks, we mapped pain points and began identifying opportunities that provide value for patients, caregivers, clinicians, and payers. We started untangling this ecosystem by asking ourselves: how might we connect, personalize, and bring greater understanding to neurodegenerative care?
What we Learned
People with neurodegenerative conditions lose trust in their bodies long before a diagnosis.
After diagnosis, patients and their care teams embark on the endless challenge of interpreting a changing body.
While motor symptoms are easier to spot, managing the mind and the mental health of PwND’s plays an equally important role in PwNDs’ experience of wellbeing as managing the body.
The Opportunities Today
The IDEA
No two manifestations of these conditions are the same. We knew that Cadence needed to recognize that everyone’s experience with Neurodegenerative disease is a little bit different, but for the most part the end desire was the same — people want to spend more time focusing on the things that matter in life. For people with neurodegenerative conditions and care partners, that means spending less time focusing on all the negatives of having a chronic disease. For clinicians, that means spending less time playing detective during appointments and more time providing counsel.
VALUE PROPOSITION
Cadence is a personalized care platform that helps you and your care team track and relieve your most pressing neurodegenerative symptoms, so you can focus on living.
HOW IT WORKS
Cadence blends passive wearables and 2-week periods of “Active Reflection” to alleviate as much of the burden of logging symptoms as possible. This means that Cadence keeps track of sleep, stress, motor symptoms, and activity in the background. When the care team does need manual input, Cadence makes the experience enjoyable and effortless with quick 1-minute gamified check-ins — like the Taptic Music Maker below.
More on the technical details. The experience is powered by a mobile application, smartwatch, and temporary wearable sensors. During Active Reflection periods, temporary wearable patches are applied to specific points on the body to track hyper-specific symptoms that general smartwatches and mobile devices might miss, like axial posture or a localized tremor.
We opted to use familiar devices, primarily relying on watches and smartphones, after we discovered during research that more sophisticated environmental sensors were polarizing.
Despite the fact that newer technologies are becoming more common with aging populations, many people were overwhelmed and skeptical of bringing environmental sensors into private areas of their homes. There were too many unknowns for care partners,, like the voice of a home assistant potentially triggering hallucinations, a common non-motor symptom, for people with these conditions.
More on the technical details. The experience is powered by a mobile application, smartwatch, and temporary wearable sensors. During Active Reflection periods, temporary wearable patches are applied to specific points on the body to track hyper-specific symptoms that general smartwatches and mobile devices might miss, like axial posture or a localized tremor.
We opted to use familiar devices, primarily relying on watches and smartphones, after we discovered during research that more sophisticated environmental sensors were polarizing.
Despite the fact that newer technologies are becoming more common with aging populations, many people were overwhelmed and skeptical of bringing environmental sensors into private areas of their homes. There were too many unknowns for care partners,, like the voice of a home assistant potentially triggering hallucinations, a common non-motor symptom, for people with these conditions.
HOW IT WORKS
Once a baseline is established, the dashboard uses natural human language to visualize data in a simple, actionable way. As a default, Cadence strives to highlight what’s going well. When things could be better, the dashboard offers personalized interventions like managing stress, improving sleep, and staying active.
As Cadence learns more about their unique symptoms, a specific disease progression algorithm builds a signature of the individual’s condition.
When it’s time to meet with the doctor, Cadence provides data-informed talking points, including a summary of their condition and important questions to make the most of their appointment.
When treatment adjustments are needed, Cadence underscores every decision with a lifestyle-oriented goal. This approach enables PwND’s and care partners to see and feel the impact of adherence — motivating them to stick to their care plan over time. Each care goal is then linked with actionable next steps ranging from medication adjustments to verified non-medical interventions, like strength and relaxation practices.
Care is more than just taking medications — it’s about cultivating a fulfilling life.
As Cadence learns more about their unique symptoms, a specific disease progression algorithm builds a signature of the individual’s condition.
When it’s time to meet with the doctor, Cadence provides data-informed talking points, including a summary of their condition and important questions to make the most of their appointment.
When treatment adjustments are needed, Cadence underscores every decision with a lifestyle-oriented goal. This approach enables PwND’s and care partners to see and feel the impact of adherence — motivating them to stick to their care plan over time. Each care goal is then linked with actionable next steps ranging from medication adjustments to verified non-medical interventions, like strength and relaxation practices.
Care is more than just taking medications — it’s about cultivating a fulfilling life.
