Iaso Parkinson's Symptom Tracking App

Date: November 2024

Duration: 2 weeks

Role: UI/UX Designer

For people living with Parkinson’s disease, technology is not just a convenience — it can be a lifeline. Managing the condition requires careful tracking of symptoms that fluctuate dramatically throughout the day. Yet the current standard of care relies heavily on infrequent clinic visits and cumbersome paper diaries that are often incomplete, inconsistent, and dependent on a patient’s ability to accurately self-report. These gaps leave both patients and clinicians struggling with limited, fragmented data.

Iaso was created to change this. A human-centered digital health platform, Iaso empowers patients with intuitive, interactive tools to log their symptoms in real time and gain personalized insights into their treatment journey. For clinicians, it transforms fragmented self-reports into continuous, actionable data — enabling more precise adjustments and more compassionate care.

By replacing outdated paper diaries with a smarter, seamless alternative, Iaso bridges the gap between the unpredictable realities of Parkinson’s and the consistent support patients need. At its core, the platform reimagines how technology can extend beyond the clinic walls to bring clarity, dignity, and empowerment to Parkinson’s care.

The Problem Space

Key Challenges

  • Fragmented Monitoring: Patients are evaluated only a few times a year, with subjective assessments that fail to capture daily fluctuations.
  • Cumbersome Diaries: Paper-based motor diaries are error-prone, cognitively demanding, and often inaccurate due to education or comprehension barriers.
  • Limited Symptom Scope: Traditional diaries focus narrowly on ON/OFF motor states, ignoring transitional and nonmotor symptoms.
  • Clinician Blind Spots: Health professionals lack real-time data, making treatment decisions reactive rather than proactive.
    Patient Frustration: Many patients feel overwhelmed, unsure what to track, and frustrated by inefficient clinic visits.

UX Research & Insights

Domain Immersion

With limited prior knowledge of Parkinson’s disease, I immersed myself in academic literature, online forums, and patient communities. I explored the nuances of symptom fluctuation, medication effects, and the limitations of current tracking methods.

Key findings included:

  • Dyskinesia (involuntary, erratic, writhing movements of the face, arms, legs or trunk) is often misclassified or oversimplified in diaries.
  • Patients struggle to identify ON/OFF states and want clearer guidance.
  • Logging is often skipped when symptoms are severe—ironically when data is most needed.
  • Manual monitoring (e.g., writing down symptoms) is helpful but not always accurate.
  • Patients want to arrive at appointments with comprehensive data to reduce visit frequency.

Competitive Analysis

I analyzed 10+ apps across symptom tracking, sleep therapy, mood monitoring, and memory support:

Key Takeaways:

  • Most apps focus on symptom mitigation, not root cause analysis.
  • Few address OFF states or medication effectiveness.
  • Logging is often manual and cognitively demanding.
  • Feedback loops are weak—users don’t know if their data is useful.

Surveys & research

To validate assumptions and narrow the target audience, I conducted semi-structured surveys and also researched about with Parkinson’s patients and caregivers.

Demographic Insights:

  • Average age: 60 years
  • Younger than 50: Young-Onset Parkinson’s (YOPD)
  • Caregivers often assist with logging in advanced stages

User Quotes:

  • “I’d rather arrive with way too much info than not enough.”
  • “My mother needs a simple way to track meds—she forgets.”
  • “I don’t know what symptoms are useful to track.” “I want to know if I’m doing better or worse than baseline.”

Affinity Mapping

From qualitative data, I identified key themes:

Personas

UX Strategy

Design Principles

  1. Empathy-Driven Design: Respect cognitive and motor limitations.
  2. Holistic Monitoring: Capture motor, nonmotor, lifestyle, and medication data.
  3. Choice & Control: Offer passive and active tracking options.
  4. Gamified Engagement: Make symptom tracking purposeful and rewarding.
  5. Clinician-Centric Insights: Present data in actionable formats.

Ideation & Feature Prioritization

Based on research and personas, I brainstormed solutions to address each theme. After evaluating feasibility, I prioritized the following core functionalities:

Core Features

  •  Active & Passive Monitoring: Users can choose how they track symptoms.
  • Gamification: Interactive activities and progress streaks to encourage engagement.
  • Community Support: A space for users to connect and share experiences.
  • Educational Briefings: Bite-sized content to help users understand symptoms and treatments.
  • Personalized Prompts: Smart reminders based on medication schedules and symptom history.

Patient App Features