HC4H - Human-Centered Computing for Health (Spring Quarter)

Background

The advent of new mobile and ubiquitous computing technology (tablets, smartphones, tracking devices, depth cameras, wearable devices, augmented reality devices, etc) has created new opportunities to design novel solutions that bring innovation to health and healthcare. The health and healthcare domains, however, are extremely challenging to research and develop technology for. Numerous regulations exist for the protection of patients as well as health data which can impact how easily new technologies might be used. These rules, such as the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), come from federal administrations, such as the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), as well as institutional bodies, such as human subject protection programs and Institutional Review Board (IRB).

Nevertheless, it is possible to thoughtfully design technologies that improve healthcare experiences and address real health problems. Human-Centered Computing has the potential for clear and important impact - enhancing the workflows of healthcare professionals and improving the health of all people.

In this class students will be exposed to the health domain at large through presentations, remote visits and discussions with experts in emergency rooms, trauma rooms, operating rooms, radiology clinics, sleep clinics, outpatient medical offices, the Simulation Training Center (STC), the Professional Development Center (PDC), the Center for the Future of Surgery (CFS), the Exercise and Physical Activity Resource Center (EPARC), and the West Health Institute.

The HC4H class will first learn about health regulations and human protections, covering both the legal mandates and ethical implications of working in and around health. We then embark on healthcare virtual visits to experience first hand the front lines of modern health and healthcare. The class will conclude with the creation of design proposals that offer a specific solution to address a specific problem relevant to HC4H. Students are invited to apply cutting-edge interactive technologies that are currently being used (or could be used in the near future) to support their proposals. Example technologies include but are not limited to Azure Kinect, Google Glass, Fitbit, Withings, Apple Watch , Microsoft HoloLens, etc.

In groups, students will create and deliver a visual prototype where functionality of the proposed solution is demonstrated through mockups, videos, a website, and a final presentation. Based on both feasibility and refinement of proposal, students may be offered the opportunity to continue their work in a collaborative research project after the course concludes. Independent research credit can be provided in subsequent quarters as CSE 198 / CSE 199 (for undergraduate students) or CSE 293 / CSE 298 / CSE 299 (for graduate students).

Course Description

HC4H an interdisciplinary course that brings together students from Engineering, Design, and Medicine, and exposes them to designing technology for health and healthcare.

The course is focused on studying how technology is currently used in healthcare and identify opportunities for novel technology to be developed for specific health and healthcare settings.

Successful students in this class often follow up on their design projects with actual development of an HC4H project and its deployment within the healthcare setting in the following quarters

More information

See CSE 190/291 (Human-Centered Computing for Health) on Canvas: https://canvas.ucsd.edu