Head Injuries Through Sports
Research, propositions & prototype
The opportunity: HITS (Head Injury Through Sports) approached the Helix Centre (a design studio based in St Mary's Hospital, London) to create a ‘first response communication tool’, for private ambulance crews to take appropriate actions in the case of suspected head injuries.
Role: Research and design
Approach
Research: SME interviews, field trip visits, secondary research
Design: Draft a communication tool and create a prototype for testing with the HPA (governing body for polo)
Strategy: provide a brief report for wider application
The Checklist manifesto
As part of the background research, I read this book. Checklists are serious tools relied upon in all aspects of life - from managing extremely complex building developments to piloting planes and operation theatres.
Checklists are a solution for the problem of complexity. They help in situations where time is of the essence and there is a limited time to react.
Research interviews
Speaking to NHS paramedics, the polo governing body and polo clubs and users, we uncovered:
Helmet issues - legal and cultural
Players cultural issues - no one can control them
Reporting issues - less than 30% of accidents are reported
Stats and data - not comprehensive enough
Private ambulances - untrained and no quality control
Medical procedures and risks - lots of things can go wrong
Secondary research
Desktop research to understand the problem space and current solutions, through the lens of medicine, sports and tech.
To help manage this, I like to make ‘mind maps’ - as a holisitc snapshot of what I’ve covered, and to navigate where to go.
Research FINDINGS report
PropositionS
Prototype
Folded sideline card for first responders of a head injury on the playing field.
