--- title: "Habitual" description: "Habitual (Takeda, 2019/20): People with narcolepsy track symptoms their way and bring the patterns to their doctor" url: "https://www.sugar-network.org/en/projects/habitual-2019-20/" lang: "en" --- # Habitual **People with narcolepsy track symptoms their way and bring the patterns to their doctor** _Freedom to live on your terms_ - **Corporate partner:** [Takeda](https://www.sugar-network.org/en/network/partners/takeda/) (https://www.takeda.com/) - **Cohort:** [2019/20](https://www.sugar-network.org/en/projects/cohort/2019-20/) - **Theme:** [Health & care](https://www.sugar-network.org/en/projects/themes/health-care/) - **Type:** Digital service - **Key fact:** 5–10 years Typical path to a narcolepsy diagnosis - **Universities:** [Hasso Plattner Institute](https://www.sugar-network.org/en/network/universities/hpi/), [Design Factory Melbourne · Swinburne](https://www.sugar-network.org/en/network/universities/dfm/) - **Team:** 6 master students - **Disciplines:** Design, Digital Health ## Challenge Takeda asked how to support people with narcolepsy beyond medication, so they can predict and manage their condition. Every case differs, so patients and specialists struggle to see how symptoms, habits and medication relate. ## What the team learned Interviewed patients rarely tracked symptoms for long and had abandoned earlier apps and journals. They wanted tracking tailored to their own medication and symptoms, as 6–12 months often pass between specialist visits. ## What they built Habitual is a companion app for people with narcolepsy. Users customise a short morning questionnaire, choose when to track to suit their energy, see real-time charts and scores, follow programmes for routines and print reports for doctor visits. How it evolved: 1. Tested a portable paper diary to check that daily habit tracking can be quick and simple. 2. Trialled a multi-sensory wake-up bed with a patient: gradual stimuli worked, but the system was too large. 3. Turned the Lenny sleep-routine light, liked by five testers, into Lenard, a working scheduling light. ## Results - Remote app tests with patients in Australia and the USA: most found it easy to use and secure. - Testers asked to track more factors, such as stress, alcohol and menstrual cycle. - All interviewed patients valued customisable reports, though the sample was small and limited by COVID-19. ## Impact The team sees Habitual as a base for automated tracking with wearables, behaviour-change coaching and community features, and recommends further tests with larger samples. > A comprehensive companion app like this would be invaluable to everyone living with narcolepsy. > > – Person with narcolepsy, user test ## Full project text We designed Habitual for people with Narcolepsy. Habitual empowers people with narcolepsy to understand their condition, manage their lifestyle and participate in society on their terms. ### Challenge How might we support people living with narcolepsy to predict & manage their condition? This was the challenge between the Hasso Plattner Institute and the design factory Melbourne at the Swinburne University of Technology. The students found that behavioural changes are a fundamental part of managing narcolepsy. Narcolepsy is treated by a combination of medications and adopting behavioural changes and better lifestyle habits such as sleep hygiene, exercise and diet. As narcolepsy is so diverse and each person’s experience so varied, the challenge for many people with narcolepsy and their specialists is to understand their condition and how the various symptoms and lifestyle factors correlate. ### Solution Habitual, your Narcolepsy companion. Habitual will enable people with narcolepsy to learn about their individual condition and understand how their symptoms, medications and other factors correlate with each other. The student have found that with regular tracking, you can see how your condition correlates with your medication, your lifestyle and most importantly the impact on your sleep. As narcolepsy is so diverse, with Habitual people with narcolepsy can track their specific symptoms. With regular use, they will be able to use the tracked data to adapt their lifestyles, schedules and habits better. In the future, the students hope Habitual will be invaluable to people with narcolepsy by benefits both immediate and over the longer term. ### Impact We understand that daily tracking may be a burden for people with narcolepsy. That’s why they can choose what time of day they would like to track to optimize their energy. We have created questionnaires of the most common narcolepsy symptoms as well as being able to track what matters to you. Habitual provides programs which are integral to building and managing a unique routine and schedule which is a fundamental part of managing narcolepsy. One of the benefits to the user will be the insights they can gain from the tracked data. My data will provide correlations to show the patterns and trends between various parameters such as their symptoms and habits. Habitual combines the data into a report that provides a summary of the symptoms and management over a longer period of time. This report is customizable and aims to facilitate better conversations between patient and practitioner. ## Who built it. - Wiktoria Staszak, Digital health (Hasso Plattner Institute) - Julius Severin, Digital health (Hasso Plattner Institute) - Juan Carlos Niño, Digital health (Hasso Plattner Institute) - Manami Ray, Design (Design Factory Melbourne · Swinburne) - Ethan Zhang, Design (Design Factory Melbourne · Swinburne) - Melanie Calleja, Design (Design Factory Melbourne · Swinburne) ## Video - Habitual promo- Team Takeda- Sugar Network 2019/20: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nTvwdEATmD0 ## Sources Summarised by the SUGAR editorial team from the team’s project page, SUGAR Expo booklet, final documentation and team brochure. Open the 2019/20 booklet: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1HRinlCvEZz5PSpew8VDcZzSIFRCUEvxc/view?usp=sharing