Designing Human-Centered Wearables for Parkinson’s Patients

• A human centered design approach can improve the adoption and usability of wearable technologies for Parkinson’s disease management. • Stakeholder workshops involving patients, caregivers, clinicians, and university students increased knowledge and confidence of individuals on the topic. • Survey findings (n=21) showed significant improvement in self-assessed confidence after participatory engagement. • Key design priorities identified include affordability, comfort, cultural sensitivity, and ease of use for individuals with tremors. • Broader system concerns, including access to neurologists and healthcare disparities, remain critical boundaries to adoption. Parkinson’s disease is becoming one of the fastest-growing neurological diseases worldwide, placing significant financial, physical, and emotional burden on patients and caregivers. Wearable monitoring technologies have the potential to improve care, but existing devices are often at a high price point or assume high health literacy, limiting adoption. Evaluate how a human-centered design framework can inform the development of wearable health technologies for Parkinson’s disease management in Kazakhstan. We held a stakeholder workshop in Almaty, Kazakhstan, with patients, caregivers, clinicians, and university students (n=21). Participants completed pre- and post- surveys measuring confidence and knowledge of Parkinson’s disease and dysphagia. The workshop included educational sessions and facilitated group discussions. Quantitative data was analyzed descriptively, and qualitative feedback was analyzed using descriptive qualitative pattern and frequency analysis supported by Python. Post-workshop surveys illustrated increased confidence in recognizing symptoms, understanding impacts on quality of life, and discussing Parkinson’s disease. Qualitative findings highlighted affordability, usability, and cultural sensitivity as key priorities. A human-centered approach can reduce stigma, improve adoption, and warrant equitable access to wearable health technologies for Parkinson's disease management across diverse healthcare systems. This study demonstrated how participatory methods can guide equitable design of health monitoring wearable devices. The findings offer transferable insights to researchers, clinicians, and designers seeking to improve adoption and impact of health technologies in under-resourced settings.