I attended the presentation of the results from the study “Menopausa, i ara què?”, organized by the Institut de Recerca Glòria Compte – Fundació Salut Empordà. This event provided valuable insights into the perceptions of the Catalan population regarding menopause and reinforced the importance of viewing it as a natural life stage rather than a disease. Additionally, I reflected on the need to raise awareness—not only among those experiencing menopause but also across the broader population—about its manifestations and its potential impact on daily life.

As part of a joint project with Hospital de Bellvitge to evaluate the usability of the El Meu Quiròfan application, we conducted semi-structured interviews to understand users’ perceptions and experiences. Before this, we assessed the comprehensibility of the thematic script with hospital volunteers. This experience highlighted the importance of adapting health content to users and ensuring that information is clear, accessible, and centered on their real needs.

• • Date: January 2024
  • Place: Sant Fruitós del Bages

Reflection on the learning and competences: I assisted a doctoral student from UOC (Aïna Fuster Casanovas) with her doctoral thesis in preparing the thematic script and conducting focus groups in the field of depression and digital health. Through this process, I learned about the importance of preparing, reviewing, and sharing thematic scripts with team members to make them as understandable as possible.

The EvalDepApps project aims to develop a digital tool and methodology to help both patients and professionals identify the best apps for managing depression. From January to March 2024, I participated in empathization and co-creation workshops for people with depression and mental health professionals in Girona, Barcelona, Málaga, and Santa Cruz de Tenerife.

My participation in the organization of the workshops, as well as my role as an observer, allowed me to gain a deep understanding of the design thinking process and its dynamics. Moreover, this experience has made me realize the importance of detecting the real needs of end users and involving them, along with all stakeholders, in the development and implementation of health and digital health interventions to improve usability, health outcomes, and user experiences. Participatory processes can help prevent people from having to adapt to technology while fostering tools that are adapted to them.