Seventeenth International Conference on Design Principles & Practices

Abstract

Epilepsy is the most common neurological disease, affecting around 70 million people worldwide. Epilepsy long-term monitoring through biosignal sensors is extremely valuable, for both data contribution to a correct diagnosis and epileptic seizure characterization, in addition to patient safety, as seizure detection can alert medical emergency services and emergency contacts with their geolocation. The research aims to develop a new epileptic seizure detection wearable for the everyday lives of patients. This paper shows the first phase of the user testing to determine whether there was a user preference for the shape and coverage area of a hand-worn wearable. Three physical models of flexible cloth were produced for participants to wear during task performance. Thirty participants took part in the study, and three questionnaires were used to collect data about sample characterization, user experience, and user acceptance. It is concluded that the thumb and partial palm coverage areas were rated the highest across all dimensions of user experience and acceptance, indicating that the preference for the shape of the coverage area is heavily influenced by familiarity. The research contributes to the advancement of continuous monitoring of epilepsy patients.