Healthcare + HCI
Applying Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) methods to the healthcare field contributes to the design, usability, accessibility and effectiveness of a variety of medical technologies to better serve people.
Many today are familiar with wearable health devices, such as smartwatches and fitness trackers, that gather real-time data in order to provide health monitoring for patients. There are many other opportunities to explore within HCI + healthcare, such as: developing human-centered software and hardware; utilizing sensors for activity recognition and measurement; designing information displays for wearables, apps, and screens; and using applied machine learning algorithms to analyze patterns. Everyday applications continue with opportunities in physical therapy, mental health, workout tracking, and even the potential to improve access to medical resources around the world.
It is important to note that human-centered design in healthcare settings and systems must also address patient safety and ethics considerations, including data privacy, consent, and the potential for bias in AI-driven systems. Ensuring the future of healthcare tech is ethically designed is key to protecting patients and maintaining trust.
Students who want to learn more about this HCI research area might be interested in the following courses:
- 05-437/05-837: Ubiquitous Computing
- 05-499/05-899: Special Topics: Fairness, Accountability, Transparency, & Ethics (FATE) in Sociotechnical Systems
- 05-399/05-899: Special Topics: AI Innovation in the Healthcare Sector
- 17-320: Machine Learning and Sensing for Healthcare (offered by S3D)