Ultrasound for Ugandan midwives

2010 - 2012 | Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation | Kampala, Uganda and Seattle, Washington

Designed a low-cost portable ultrasound UI, including an integrated help and tutorial system to support midwives.

Team

I was a UX designer and researcher, working alongside another UX researcher and designer, medical doctors, ultrasonographers, engineers.

Deliverables

Insight reports

Academic papers

Low-cost ultrasound UI with integrated help and tutorial system

Problem

Ultrasound is a safe and effective way to identify pregnancy complications. Unfortunately, ultrasound technology is scarce because of the high cost of the technology.

From 2010 to 2012, I researched and designed for a portable, low cost portable ultrasound device to help decrease maternal death rates in rural Uganda.

Methods

Field studies in the Isingiro District and Kampala, job shadowing with midwives in clinics

  • Contextual inquiries with radiologists in Seattle hospitals

  • Interviews with Ugandan mothers to understand their experiences with prenatal care and ultrasound screenings

  • Surveys sent to Ugandan midwives for feedback as the prototype progressed

What we built

Based on research, we built a simplified ultrasound application that utilized an Interson USB probe attached to a netbook. We iterated until radiologists, sonographers, and midwives both in the U.S. and Uganda verified that the device could successfully diagnose the three most common complications.

The device cost was $3,500 using a modular off-the-shelf approach rather than an all-in-one system. We also added an integrated contextual help feature that helped supplement the limited sonography training received by the midwives, helping to answer diagnostic questions when a radiologist isn't available.

Scanning fetus head

Suggested learning topics

Comparing ultrasound images

I co-authored three academic papers:

Our work broadened the conversation in the medical community about the needs for simplified lower cost medical technology. GE, Philips, and other medical device companies became aware of our work. In addition, our project advisor Beth Kolko started Shift Labs, a company focused on developing low cost medical technology.

For more about this work, please watch this TEDx presentation from Beth Kolko:

Output and impact

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