Giving Parkinson's Patients a Voice: How Triad Health AI Reimagined Therapy with Amazon Alexa
We designed and developed an Amazon Alexa Skill MVP that allowed users to initiate, pause, and customize their therapy sessions, tailored to their current condition and cognitive needs.
Services Provided
- UX Design
- UX Writing
- Voice User Interface (VUI) Design
- Voiceflow Development
- User Testing & Iteration
- Amazon Skill Certification
Key Outcomes
We delivered exceptional results across all key metrics, setting new standards in the industry.
30
Days to MVP Launch
5.0
Average User Rating
SXSW
Featured at SXSW 2019
$10K
Seed Funding Secured
Industry Recognition
Harvard Business Review
Featured in Harvard Business Review for voice technology strategy
User Testing
Real Patient Feedback
Behind-the-scenes user testing sessions with Parkinson's patients
Bringing Therapy Home Through Voice
Triad Health AI's mission is simple yet profound: help those living with Parkinson's reclaim their movement, confidence, and independence. They focus on 'the Triad' — movement, voice, and cognition — as the foundation of their therapeutic philosophy.
To take that mission further, they envisioned an accessible, voice-activated experience that could bring therapy into the homes of users through Amazon Alexa. Not just as a novelty — but as a meaningful, daily companion in the fight against degenerative disease.
The Compelling Event
Triad Health was preparing for an important season of visibility: investor meetings, healthcare conferences, and a fast-evolving voice technology space. If they were going to make an impact — they had to move quickly. They needed a working demo, user feedback, and a shippable MVP. And they needed it all within 30 days.
A Patient-Centered Voice Experience
Our initial focus was accessibility — and that meant putting ourselves in the shoes of Parkinson's patients from day one. After user testing revealed key issues, we pivoted to create a voice experience that prioritized user control and personalization.
Accessibility First
- Adjustable speed settings (4 levels)
- Scalable difficulty tiers (5 levels)
- Custom session setup with verbal prompts
- Session control: start, pause, and resume options
User-Driven Design
- Alexa's default speech cadence adjusted for user needs
- Personalized sessions to prevent over/under-stimulation
- Supportive tone replacing robotic interactions
- Real-world patient feedback integration
Therapeutic Innovation
- Voice technology adapted for physical therapy
- Voiceflow combined with patient feedback
- Delightful UX beyond just usable
- Bi-weekly user testing iterations
The Therapeutic Triad
Our solution created an interconnected voice-enabled environment that transforms the three pillars of Parkinson's therapy: movement, voice, and cognition.
Movement
Voice-guided physical therapy exercises designed specifically for Parkinson's patients, with adjustable difficulty and pacing to match individual capabilities.
Voice
Interactive voice commands that help patients practice speech therapy while controlling their therapy sessions, building confidence in verbal communication.
Cognition
Cognitive exercises integrated into therapy sessions that challenge memory, attention, and processing speed while maintaining an engaging, supportive experience.
Rapid MVP DevelopmentImplementation
We went from kickoff to live MVP in 30 days — balancing design, development, and real-world testing in parallel.
Behind the Scenes
Complete Voiceflow conversation design showing the therapeutic stepping exercise flow with multiple difficulty levels and patient-centered voice interactions
VUI Scripting
Week 1-2: Voice User Interface scripting and early prototyping in Voiceflow platform.
User Testing
Week 2-3: Iterative user testing with real patients, speed and difficulty tuning based on feedback.
Certification
Week 3-4: Final refinements and Amazon Skill certification process for marketplace launch.
Launch
Post-launch: Feedback loop established for future iterations and continuous improvement.
"Daniel is my go-to resource when building our tools for people living with Parkinson's on the Amazon Alexa. Thoughtful, thorough and creative, I never have to worry about whether it's done when I hand it off to Daniel. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend him for anybody working on an interesting idea in this emerging space."
John M. Dean, MA CCC-SLP
Co-founder at Triad Health AI
The Resolution
With this project, Triad Health AI didn't just create an app — they reshaped the therapy experience for people with Parkinson's.
Transformation Achieved
- Launched fully interactive voice therapy sessions
- Achieved 5 difficulty levels and 4 speed settings
- Delivered start, pause, and resume voice controls
- Created uplifting tone that energized patients
- Earned presentation at SXSW 2019 by Google's Cathy Pearl
- Featured in Harvard Business Review
- Secured first round of seed funding
- Maintained perfect 5.0 Amazon Alexa Skill rating
Mission Accomplished
30 Days
From concept to live MVP
Their Alexa Skill became a source of empowerment, interaction, and independence. It gave patients a new way to stay engaged with their wellness — and gave Triad Health a platform to scale their impact.