ADHERENCE TRACKER

A research project to study the ability of individuals to adhere to medications.

THE PROBLEM

Designed a HIPAA-compliant mobile app to improve medication adherence through reminders, symptom tracking, and side-effect education.

Medication nonadherence remains one of the most persistent challenges in healthcare, contributing to poor treatment outcomes, increased hospitalizations, and unnecessary healthcare costs. Many patients struggle to take medications consistently due to factors such as forgetfulness, fear of side effects, misunderstanding instructions, or lack of motivation when symptoms improve. Beyond individual behavior, the complexity of dosage schedules, confusing labels, and limited education about side effects can discourage adherence. The goal of this project was to design a mobile app that improves medication adherence by providing tools that support memory, symptom tracking, and patient education all while maintaining HIPAA compliance to protect user privacy.

MY ROLE

Served as UX designer and researcher, leading end-to-end design from compliance research to prototyping and usability testing.

As the UX designer and researcher, I led the end-to-end design process

from defining requirements and compliance boundaries to prototyping and usability testing. I conducted in-depth research on medication adherence patterns and analyzed HIPAA regulations to ensure the design met federal privacy standards. Using these insights, I created eight functional app pages, including a symptom tracker, medication reminder system, side-effect education portal, and data privacy management screen. I developed low-fidelity wireframes to establish structure and flow, then iterated toward high-fidelity mockups based on mentor feedback and simulated user testing. Each design emphasized clarity, accessibility, and emotional reassurance for patients managing complex medication routines.

UNDERSTANDING THE USER

Researched patient behavior and medication adherence barriers to inform user-centered design decisions.

I began by reviewing literature from the American Medical Association and the SIDER database of drug side effects to identify common barriers to adherence. The user base was defined as adults managing multiple prescriptions who often felt overwhelmed by timing, dosage, or unexpected side effects. These insights provided a foundation for designing features that directly addressed real patient challenges while building trust, engagement, and motivation.

BREAKING DOWN THE PROCESS

Translated research insights into actionable design solutions through iterative prototyping and testing.

To address adherence challenges, I developed three key design pillars:

Memory & Reminders: Designed a customizable reminder system allowing users to set notifications across multiple time scales, reducing missed doses and improving consistency.
Symptom Tracking: Built a user-defined symptom severity tracker that visualizes progress over time, helping users recognize improvements and stay motivated.
Education on Side Effects: Integrated verified medical data from the SIDER API to educate users about potential side effects, providing reassurance and context for what’s “normal” versus what requires attention.

Additionally, I incorporated a “Delete My Data” feature to comply with HIPAA privacy rules, giving users full control over their information. Usability testing focused on workflow clarity, navigation, button placement, and educational layout. Iterations emphasized a user-friendly, non-intimidating tone to encourage daily engagement without overwhelming users.

Design

TITLE OF THE CALLOUT BLOCK

LESSONS LEARNED

Gained deep insight into balancing ethical design, accessibility, and user trust in healthcare technology.

This project taught me that trust and usability are inseparable in healthcare design. Patients are more likely to adhere to their treatments when they feel in control of their data and confident in the reliability of the app. Balancing privacy with ease of use required careful consideration—ensuring every interaction felt secure yet intuitive. I also learned that compliance is not just a legal constraint but a design opportunity to demonstrate transparency and build credibility. By combining ethical UX principles with patient-centered design, the final prototype showed how technology can meaningfully enhance health outcomes while respecting users rights and dignity.