Case study
Preparing patients for a clinical trial with Concept2 training
My role: Design Lead / contributor
Project type: Client project, B2B
Year: 2017
My contributions: Content production and localisation, Instructional design, Prototyping, Project management
Outcome: Clinical trial successfully onboarded and trained patients
The Challenge
It has been reported that only 40%–60% of COPD patients adhere to prescribed drug regimen, and only 1 out of 10 perform inhalation correctly (source). Pharma companies aim to improve health outcomes by developing digital tools that support better adherence and technique.
In 2017, Novartis developed a smart inhaler called Concept2 that could detect the occurence and quality of inhallations. To pair with Concept2, a new patient-facing app was needed to track medication adherence, set routines, and coach COPD patients. A phase III study was planned to evaluate the benefits of Concept2.
My role was to design a new experience to train study participants in the correct technique of inhallation, and to help sustain it.
Traditional training came in the form of a printed comic strip. Lots of room for user error, as well as opportunity for improvement through digitisation.
I prototyped the new video training using stills and short videos synchronised with the voiceover script and follow-along inhalation visualisations (big blue dot).
I also evaluated the potential of first-person video to improve inhaler training.
The Solution
For Concept2, we chose video over print because:
- Training can be integrated into in-app user onboarding
- Video represents time as a key quality of the correct inhalation technique
- When Concept2 detects decline in technique, it can prompt a tailored refresher
As part of a broader app development project, I led the design and production of an in-app video onboarding and training experience that prepared patients to use their digital inhaler in a clinical trial.
Screens from the final production with follow-along instructions for preparation and timed inhallation.
My Approach
In the design stage, I storyboarded the video, prototyped and iterated inhalation sequences (tested on myself and team as patient proxies) and secured regulatory sign-offs.
For production, I hired actors and directed filming, voiceover and foley recordings, editing, and post-production. I also managed translation and localisation into 7 languages (Czech, Dutch, UK and US English, French, German, Korean).
Screen from the Czech version of the Concept2 training video.
The Result
The video was used in the Novartis NCT03379233 clinical trial that aimed to evaluate the effects of digital interventions on patient adherence and engagement.
Patients were successfully onboarded and trained, but the trial was discontinued due to an inhaler device malfunction.