Development of an App-based Screening Tool for Earlier Detection of Acromegaly

Acromegaly is a disease caused by a tumour in the brain that leads to coarsening and enlargement of features of the face, hands, and feet, as well as a host of diseases including diabetes, hypertension, arthritis, and sleep apnea, that lead to disfigurement, poor quality of life and premature death. If caught in early stages, it is curable, but patients often go undiagnosed or are diagnosed late when the tumour has invaded the surrounding tissue, meaning that disease will persist, despite expensive surgery, medical therapy, and radiation. Our research group has been developing an artificial intelligence (AI) tool to identify the earliest changes caused by the disease and recommend patients that are identified as high-risk to seek further medical testing. To support the use of this AI tool on a simple, accessible, and easy-to-use platform, our research group is developing a web and/or smartphone application that can be used by patients, clinicians, and other stakeholders to screen for Acromegaly.
This Mitacs-supported project will elucidate the functions, features, and user flows that make for an intuitive and appealing Acromegaly screening app. These outcomes will be derived from literature review, stakeholder interviews, and end-user surveys, and help to guide the design of app wireframes and eventually high-fidelity end-user tested prototypes. Taken together, this project will facilitate the development of an accessible, user-friendly, and ground-breaking screening tool to detect Acromegaly earlier and reduce the burden of the disease.

Faculty Supervisor:

Alexis Morris

Student:

Partner:

St. Michael's Hospital (Unity Health)

Discipline:

Engineering

Sector:

Health and Related Sciences & Technology

University:

Ontario College of Art & Design University

Program: