banambulance
a stroke assessment medical application created as a solution to reduce time between stroke-onset to treatment for Emergency Medical Services.
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problem
Strokes are the 4th leading cause of death in the United States, with 800,000 cases a year. About 87% of these strokes are the ischemic type, which is a blood clot causing reduced oxygen in the brain. Every minute a stroke goes untreated, the brain loses 1.9 million neurons. Ischemic strokes can be treated within the right time frame — meaning time is key to a patient’s survival. In such critical circumstances, up to 22% of strokes are missed and misdiagnosed by Emergency Medical Services (EMS) in the field. A lack of access to the patient’s prior medical history and objective diagnostic tools, resulting in higher chances of disability and lower likelihood of survival.
solution
Banambulance is a groundbreaking medical application designed specifically for Emergency Medical Services (EMS), addressing the aforementioned challenges head-on. It offers a range of features, including an EEG cap providing clear & real-time brain data, microphone-input patient history, and an incorporation of BEFAST (a current EMS stroke protocol). We bring in critical information that equips EMS to more accurately identify strokes on the spot. With 87% of strokes being ischemic and treatable if caught early, our application helps save time, save lives, and give patients a better chance at recovery.
Banambulance is not just any app…
Banambulances's journey began with a small team of dedicated individuals who noticed a problem in the current medical process of stroke patients.
We meticulously analyzed the pain points faced by EMTs, conducting in-depth market research on current devices and engaging with the medical community to understand their needs. Armed with this knowledge, we set out to build a medical application that would bridge the gap between EMS and treatment providers for stroke patients, quickly. We wanted to reduce the time it took from the time of stroke-onset to receiving proper treatment.
Throughout the development process, the team worked tirelessly to ensure that Banambulance catered to the unique requirements of EMTs. We incorporated modern EEG technology, intuitive user interfaces, and robust security measures to create a platform that would be both effective and user-friendly. Our vision was not to implement a whole new complex system, but to elevate the existing process that medical technicians go through. We want to provide them with the necessary tools to improve their workflow and success in handling stroke patients.
Our team worked alongside UC San Diego's Cognovate Labs, a Med-Tech startup & research lab. Our goal was to solve the problem of time lost between stroke onset and receiving treatment. Creating a solution that was intuitive and clear for an EMT to understand in a fast-paced environment was critical for this process. As we work to implement Banambulance into their system, this becomes more possible than ever.
What I Learned:
Working alongside aspiring neuroscientists and UX designers made understanding the weight of stroke misdiagnosis greater. It no longer seemed as a distant problem that I’ve only heard of, but a pain that I understood deep in my own heart.
I’ve learned how to have the deep understanding of our user’s pain point be the driving factor of all our design decisions. This relationship between the designer and the user allows design decisions to actually address the problem at hand. Tying visual design with solution design is a skill I have not only attained, but one that I will continue to nurture onto the next.
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