LIFE WITH ARTHRITIS
Independent Researcher
Aug-Sep 2020
Focussing on the ‘Continuum of Care’, this project looked to understand patients with arthritis, identify some of their unmet needs within their journey/experience and help them manage that particular need.
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‘HOW MIGHT WE SUPPORT PEOPLE SUFFERING FROM ARTHRITIS MANAGE THEIR DISEASE, OVER AND ABOVE THE PILL?’
Key Constraint: Sole researcher, working remotely!
Image used for reference purpose only
Thought Process:
DESIGN THINKING
EMPATHIZE
Phase Focus:

Secondary and Primary Research to understand stakeholders and positioning in the ecosystem. As of 2018, more than 180 million Indians* are affected by Arthritis, going way beyond diabetes and accounting for 15% of the population.

Demography selected for the purpose of this research:
Indian Citizens, above the age of 60, living in Urban-Metropolitan cities.

My Role:
1. Identifying and Categorizing Stakeholders based on role and relationship type
2. Developing a Participant Brief and a draft questionnaire
3. Identifying Participants for the study
4. Recruitment
5. Conducting the telephonic interviews
DEFINE
Phase Focus:

The interviews brought forward some of the following challenges:

1. Fears
2. Need for Psychological Support
3. Difference in attitude in dealing with the ailment (financial independence, family and culture)
Key Insight:
Lack of Seriousness in managing the disease based on Gender:


Women are more prone to Arthritis, and this potential gap in seriousness to manage the disease can and has probably been a serious deterrent to women’s health - something that is known but often missed out on.
REFINEd problem statement
Challenges identified:

1. Internal Struggles: physical and mental
2. External Struggles: family and social life
3. Struggles of the Different Stakeholders involved in the patient’s life
Initial Problem Statement:
‘HOW MIGHT WE SUPPORT PEOPLE SUFFERING FROM ARTHRITIS MANAGE THEIR DISEASE, OVER AND ABOVE THE PILL?’
HOW MIGHT WE IMPROVE THE LIVES OF PEOPLE SUFFERING FROM AND AFFECTED BY ARTHRITIS, HOLISTICALLY?
IDEATION
With four major pillars required for the solution based on the insights, 13 ideas were drafted, focussing on tangible and digital solutions.
The final solution proposed focusses on a digital service based on a clinical data lake, and a communication strategy on awareness, to go hand-in-hand for the patient, his family and the doctors involved.
Proposed Solution:
A Systems Approach, involving the Government, Hospitals, Doctors, and various other stakeholders to works around the struggles, internal and external, and caters to the needs of the different stakeholders in this ecosystem.”
Service Blueprint to explain roles that can be played by different actors
TEST(ing)
By exploring a stack of opportunities the service can be a step closer to making the lives of the millions of Pankajs and Rashmitas in the country easier, simpler and smarter.
As of today, some steps of the proposed service are being validated with some of the stakeholders.
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Tools used: Opportunity Maps, Value Chains and Business Model Canvas
