Home Test for Coronavirus — The 5 Must Haves
Well, if it was THAT easy, we, as in “the world”, would have been in a whole different place right now, wouldn’t we? And yet it’s an interesting topic to cover, especially if you are a product manager in the field of healthcare.
After researching and analyzing a few common home tests, I then summarized it into a post. So here they are, the top 5 essentials for a home test to be nominated as ‘a (really) good product’.
1. Reliable
You want to make the test as accurate as possible, even if the measurements are not being taken under the ideal circumstances. And yes, this means that if I’m sweating from anxiety or nerves, my sample is still valid.
Action items
- Basically what it means is that the thing should work. Get the best chemists, physicists ans doctors to perform as much QA as needed. The bottom line is — it should tell the truth.
- Specify the accuracy rate, at least on the package. The user should know how much trust he can put in your product.
- You can use the instructions to guide the user for the environment of taking the test to be sterile and clean but leave enough room for errors.
- Instead of instructing the user for hygiene, the chemical ingredients should be in high concentration. Leaving it to science, relaying less on chance, makes sure that accuracy of result will be less affected by the noise of outliers, ensuring a test of higher quality.
The thermometer, for example, had an iterative evolution and the internet is full, to this day, of debates related to its credibility. Remember when it had mercury in it? When we use to put it in the armpit and wait for 5–7 minutes, sometimes left it there for a whole 10, in order for it to be precise? Even now days, though there is a digital version, faster and easier to use, some people still put more trust in the mercury thermometer.
Pregnancy test on the other hand is a pure chemical test. It is well known that pregnancy tests you get at the drugstore work 99 out of 100 times. They’re just as accurate as a urine pregnancy test that you’d get at a doctor’s office.
2. Simple
You want it to be simpler than the IKEA guide for putting together furniture. You want it to be broken to a minimum amount of pieces, preferably one, so it will be ready for use almost immediately. Of course the process of taking the measurement or sample itself also be very clear. That will leave less room for mistakes.
Action items
- Even though the chemical/physical reaction does most of the work, we want to keep this “lab” part encapsulated.
- The user should be aware of the input and output parts of the device but the rest should stay behind the scenes. It is your responsibility to help the user find the first two easily.
- In case the device is a collection of more than one piece, bringing the pieces together should be intuitive. Here’s where the principle of “Don’t make me think” comes into place.
Some blood pressure measurement devices recommend you to take the test at least 3 times, for verification. But actually, I get frustrated even earlier, when trying to understand how and where to wrap the sleeve.
Pregnancy tests on the other hand require only to pee on a stick. Easy to use and very straight forward.
3. Fast
You want to get the result fast. Few minutes — tops! This one is very straightforward and linked to the previous two points. I want to get it done and to get the result — fast. That’s why I chose your product over the clinic to begin with. Use the tips above to make this bullet right.
4. Informative
You want it to provide a clear result preferably with a call to action.
Action items
- Tests are divided into two groups, according to their two types of answers — a number within a range or a binary value- positive or negative. In case of a range the user needs a guidance regarding the result and what should be done next.
- The perfect way of displaying that is an app that accompanies the device. It can record the user’s history of measurements, and according to its personal trends, give all sorts of feedback.
- Taking a test usually follows some symptoms, so the user has in mind what kind of a result to expect, but providing him with a more holistic answer will gain more of his trust and comfort.
Measuring blood pressure given the fact that this index has a very individual definition of what is ‘normal’ and ‘stable’ — the result when it stands alone means little to the user. The user is expected to analyze the result to know what to do with it — compare to previous results, know his trend.
5. Aesthetic
Or in other words — it has to look nice. This is something that is being forgotten a lot of times in medicine, because first thing first — meaning our health. But trust me, our subconscious will push it from the back of our mind to the front, whether we like it or not. If the doctor washed his hands and put on gloves before treating you, but he looks like he didn’t shower for a week, you will still be disgusted.
Action items
- You need to make the patients become your users. Make them want to touch it. Make them want to use it. They or their doctor can make them do the test, but you need to change the verb ‘make’ to ‘want’. Tests and needles aren’t the most pleasant things for a patient, and your job is to make him calm and satisfied. Make him even smile!
- ‘God is in the details.’ Whether you believe in God or not, the little things DO matter. I don’t mean for you to attached a cute furry tail to the test or put a smiley face on it (unless maybe if it’s meant for kids).
- Keep it simple, reliable and neat, so the use will be more pleasant.
This one is my favorite bullet point since both — the thermometer and pregnancy test can be found in pink. Very feminine and very chic. That’s the number one factor making me want to stay home and use those sticks.
(Just kidding!)
Clearly that’s a lot about the WHAT and a little about the HOW. Mainly because the HOW changes depending on a company’s strategy. Also, there are obviously companies that are already developing more sophisticated solutions while trying to reach the goals I pointed out and meeting deadlines(in case of the Coronavirus — the sooner the better).
You are more than welcome to share your thoughts with me. I would love to read whether you follow different principles when working on your product(whether it’s a home test, other healthcare device or something else entirely)!
