Migraine Recorder
OVERVIEWIn May of 2017, Amgen released Migraine Recorder, an app that allowed users to participate in a research study focused on assessing the burden of migraines. Unfortunately, the fundamental usability challenges that existed within the app proved too burdensome for the core audience of migraine sufferers, and enrollment in the study was low. Only 18% of users completed the original study. We sought to address the usability issues in the app and enable migraine patients to have a fuller picture of how their treatment is working for them, so they engaged with the study and Amgen could learn more about their condition.
OBJECTIVEIncrease enrollment in the migraine study
Increase engagement in the migraine study
Increase participant completion of the migraine study
KEY RESULTSThere was a 72% increase in participant completion.
Users showed a 98% adherence to their migraine medication regimens and engagement with tracking reminders.
Enrollment in the study increased from 25 participants to 1000 participants.
ROLEProduct Designer, Product Strategy, User Research, Visual Design, Prototyping & Testing, Information Architecture
April 2018 - March 2020
The Challenge
One of the main concerns in beginning the redesign was that there were a lot of surface problems, but there hadn't been any user testing. Our team used heuristic evaluation to identify what was currently working within the app, and which issues needed to be addressed.
The Users
Our user research had shown that an individual’s experience of living with migraine is unique – from the symptoms to frequency and severity of attacks, to the treatments used and the impact on work, family, and social life. Just understanding the causes and triggers is a game-changer for people living with migraines, as it’s the first step in management.
DISCOVERYUsers are highly disease-motivated, knowledgable, and health literate.
They are extremely jaded with current treatments.
Success isn’t well defined. They want better, better for them means less frequency, but they don’t believe that “better” is fully accessible.
Migraine User Journey
AREAS FOR OPPORTUNITYGood days (headache-free days where the user is able to return to their “normal life”) should be celebrated and logged.
By sending out push alerts on days that weren’t logged as migraine days, the user is encouraged to track achievements in their treatment.
By capturing and reflecting the positive outcomes, our application can demonstrate the effectiveness of treatment and help the patient see how much their life has improved.
Showing long-term data on migraine occurrence and medication use could give the user valuable feedback on the efficacy of their treatment, and motivate them to stay adherent.
By creating an easy to read export of the user’s input, we can provide users with actionable data while they are in the study so that they can effectively communicate with their providers.
Wireframes
Wireframing and documenting our app meant that we needed to be detailed and clear for our developers and testers. Altogether, we documented and tested 82 different scenarios, in compliance with legal, safety, and regulatory reviews.
Final Design & Outcomes
There was a 72% increase in participant completion in the study, up from 18%. Users showed a 98% adherence to their migraine medication regimens and engagement with tracking reminders. Enrollment in the study increased from 25 participants to 1000 participants.
During the interviews, participants expressed that maintaining a record of their medication usage and symptoms significantly bolstered their confidence in gauging the effectiveness of their treatment.