Project overview: Emily Carr University has partnered with the BC Children's Hospital to develop a number of project proposals that will help BCCH to ethically track patients, treat patients more effectively, and promote health and wellness. This is my project proposal for the program.



The BCCH (BC Children's Hospital) Symptom Checker is intended to be used as a preventative measure for the ER, reducing the number of patient visits that are not life-threatening, and diverting patients to other hospitals or clinics in the Vancouver area. Based on the BC Nurse Hotline system, it provides the same advice as trusted medical professionals.

The checker would ideally reside on the BC Children's Hospital website, and later be translated into a mobile-ready app or website.

Through ethnographic and on-site research with my senior-year interaction design class, I found that one of the most important elements of patient care is ensuring that the triage system isn't overwhelmed by cases that are not appropriate for the ER. The BC Nurse Hotline provides an online symptom-checking system, but it is not user-friendly, nor is it focused on pediatric care. My hope is that this proof-of-concept could be translated into a real product to be used in conjunction with the BCCH Emergency Room, triage staff, and BC Nurse Hotline.