In order to improve the interaction and overall experience between the person with epilepsy and their first responder, I introduced a new idea in the paper prototype: Once the emergency steps are complete, first responders can optionally leave their contact information in case the person is unconscious or is taken by ambulance. Using the contact information, the person with epilepsy can contact them afterwards to show their gratitude. I iterated on this for the digital prototype.
Types of contact
The first thing I considered for this feature was how to get back to your first responder and what type of contact would be best for that purpose. As it is likely that both people will be strangers, the contact method should be as low-threshold as possible when it comes to personal data. Either leaving a phone number or an email address would meet these requirements from my point of view. Since the input is not mandatory, I gave the possibility to skip this step with a button.
Thoughts on individualization
During this iteration, a thought emerged. Reaching out personally could be one option, but leaving a personal message such as a video or voice recording could be another. The first option would require less effort in terms of how people with epilepsy have to set up their app, but the latter option could provide more direct feedback. However, a recording of any kind would need to be more generalized, as the circumstances of incidents can vary. For this reason, I decided to go with the first option, which seemed simpler.
End of usage
The last consideration was how to end the use of the app for a first responder after they have started the process, followed the emergency steps, completed the process, and optionally left contact information. Now that the first responder’s task is complete, their access to the smartphone should be minimized. This could be done by returning to the lock screen. If the person with epilepsy needs to rest for a while, or if medical professionals take over after the incident, it is still useful to provide access to the medical ID and make it visible on the lock screen.
Next steps
So far, I have focused mainly on the practical use of this prototype. But for a holistic user experience, the emotional aspect needs to be added in any case. This could be done by getting more graphical and defining the overall visual design.
