Skin cancer is the most common form of cancer in the Netherlands, often caused by having too much exposure to UV radiation from the sun. An effect of this is that the part of the body that is exposed the most to the sun is also the body part where skin cancer is seen more often; the head. When the skin cancer gets removed surgically, the defect is sometimes so big that reconstructive surgery has to take place. This treatment is impactful for patients, since their face can abruptly change, impacting their social interactions.

This project explores the patient experience that facial skin cancer patients have throughout their treatment and how augmented reality (AR) could contribute in this treatment, to ultimately bring about a better quality of life (QoL).

In the first phase of this project qualitative research was conducted. Interviews with healthcare professionals (HCPs) and observations in the hospital helped to understand the context for patients. Contextmapping interviews with patients gave insights on the patient journey they went through. It was found that this journey can best be explained as an emotional roller coaster with a long recovery phase.

In the second phase of this project the final concept “Face it” came about through experimentation with AR software and co-creation with HCPs using the patient journey as a basis. A final interactive mock-up was created and tested with ex patients to evaluate the concept as a whole.

The final concept Face it is a tool that helps patients to look at themselves in three different ways during the recovery phase of their treatment; the current selves, back in the past and the future selves. This is done by taking photos, keeping track with photos and looking to the future phases of the recovery in AR. The final concept was evaluated as a good example of digitalization to evoke patient engagement in their own care and with that patient empowerment.

This design research showed that there is a need and opportunity for more digitalization in healthcare. Furthermore, the project has shown that solutions in healthcare can benefit from taking a more holistic approach to a problem. Taking this a different perspective offers interesting opportunities for future projects on AR in healthcare, as does this project, offering a glimpse into the future.