My Works
Improving Patient Care Through A.I. and Machine Learning
Improving Patient Care Through A.I. and Machine Learning
Clinical Deterioration Dashboard
Company
Robô Laura
Platform
Live Dashboards
My Role
UX Researcher
-
UI Designer
*Some information was hidden to stay aligned with GDPT.
Overview
The Clinical Deterioration Dashboard is a platform to monitor UCI patients. The system uses A.I. and Machine Learning to analyze the patient’s vital signals and generate alerts for the medical team when a patient fits a risk profile for sepsis.
The dashboard was on the market for a long period without significant improvements. Despite the good feedback about the dashboard, the active users were decreasing and the support tickets were increasing, which led the company to focus the effort on understanding users' needs to improve engagement and retention.
The Clinical Deterioration Dashboard is a platform to monitor UCI patients. The system uses A.I. and Machine Learning to analyze the patient’s vital signals and generate alerts for the medical team when a patient fits a risk profile for sepsis.
The dashboard was on the market for a long period without significant improvements. Despite the good feedback about the dashboard, the active users were decreasing and the support tickets were increasing, which led the company to focus the effort on understanding users' needs to improve engagement and retention.
My Role
My responsibilities in the project were: to organize and manage the design process end to end, conduct and support interviews, conduct workshops, develop wireframes and high-fidelity prototypes, conduct usability tests, iterate on the solution, and create the documentation to handoff to the development team.
My responsibilities in the project were: to organize and manage the design process end to end, conduct and support interviews, conduct workshops, develop wireframes and high-fidelity prototypes, conduct usability tests, iterate on the solution, and create the documentation to handoff to the development team.
Problems
The client’s needs were evolving and the features weren’t. Some of the issues the users were having are:
The client’s needs were evolving and the features weren’t. Some of the issues the users were having are:
Lack of information
The users didn’t understand what to do after the system indicated a patient at risk. The dashboard only showed the patients’ bed number, when it occurred, and icons that didn’t clarify their purpose.
The users didn’t understand what to do after the system indicated a patient at risk. The dashboard only showed the patients’ bed number, when it occurred, and icons that didn’t clarify their purpose.
Impact
Patient care was being affected since the information was not enough to give the medical team inputs to understand how to proceed.
Patient care was being affected since the information was not enough to give the medical team inputs to understand how to proceed.
Last version before the redesign.
Mistrust with the solution
They believe the system was not working well, since after the alert the patient's vital signs were good and the patient wasn’t showing any signs of deterioration.
They believe the system was not working well, since after the alert the patient's vital signs were good and the patient wasn’t showing any signs of deterioration.
Impact
The patient's condition was being neglected because of his present condition. Plus, the medical team was starting to mistrust the solution.
The patient's condition was being neglected because of his present condition. Plus, the medical team was starting to mistrust the solution.
Bugs
The system was having a lot of problems and inconsistencies, which led to an increase in technical support requests.
The system was having a lot of problems and inconsistencies, which led to an increase in technical support requests.
Impact
In some cases, the dashboard was showing a lot of patients and that wasn’t reflecting the real state of the patient's condition.
In some cases, the dashboard was showing a lot of patients and that wasn’t reflecting the real state of the patient's condition.
Opportunity
How could we enhance the medical team's awareness to help them provide fast and efficient patient care?
How could we enhance the medical team's awareness to help them provide fast and efficient patient care?
Business Goals
Scalability to expand value proposition
Scale the solution for other protocols beyond sepsis to expand the value proposition and create flexibility for the customers.
Scale the solution for other protocols beyond sepsis to expand the value proposition and create flexibility for the customers.
User-centered design
Working closely with the users to iterate on solutions and offer constant improvements aiming to empower the medical team.
Working closely with the users to iterate on solutions and offer constant improvements aiming to empower the medical team.
Users Goals
Prevent patient deterioration
Starting patient care at any signal of deterioration to avoid complications.
Starting patient care at any signal of deterioration to avoid complications.
Choose the best medical conduct
According to the patient's condition and severity, the medical team must choose the best path for treatment.
According to the patient's condition and severity, the medical team must choose the best path for treatment.
Discovery
Stakeholders
Analysis
Stakeholders Analysis
Qualitative Research
Service
Blueprint
Service Blueprint
Stakeholders’ Analysis
I mapped three key stakeholders that could bring important information and insights:
I mapped three key stakeholders that could bring important information and insights:
Nurses
They are responsible for inputting patient vital signals into the system, managing the dashboard, doing the initial care when a patient pops up on the screen, informing the doctor about everything, and proceeding accordingly to the doctor’s directions.
They are responsible for inputting patient vital signals into the system, managing the dashboard, doing the initial care when a patient pops up on the screen, informing the doctor about everything, and proceeding accordingly to the doctor’s directions.
Doctors
They are responsible for deeply investigating the patient's condition, choosing medical conduct, and giving instructions to the nurses to continue the procedures.
They are responsible for deeply investigating the patient's condition, choosing medical conduct, and giving instructions to the nurses to continue the procedures.
Internal Customer Support Team
Over the years the Customer Support Team had collected several feedback and insights from customers and was still working closely with them.
Over the years the Customer Support Team had collected several feedback and insights from customers and was still working closely with them.
Qualitative Research
Since the company was looking for close relationships with its customers, I found it valuable to conduct qualitative research and get feedback directly from the nurses and doctors, including medical directors. Some problems I found during the interviews with external and internal stakeholders are:
Since the company was looking for close relationships with its customers, I found it valuable to conduct qualitative research and get feedback directly from the nurses and doctors, including medical directors. Some problems I found during the interviews with external and internal stakeholders are:
Protocol Limitation
The hospitals have several protocols for different situations and the system was limited to only one protocol.
The hospitals have several protocols for different situations and the system was limited to only one protocol.
Impact
Nonuse of the system and poor retention. In case the hospital had requested the inclusion of other protocols, the development team would have to do it manually.
Nonuse of the system and poor retention. In case the hospital had requested the inclusion of other protocols, the development team would have to do it manually.
Knowledge Gap
A large number of users didn’t know how the alerts were generated.
A large number of users didn’t know how the alerts were generated.
Impact
Lack of engagement and wrong decision-making.
Lack of engagement and wrong decision-making.
Space limitation
The number of alerts the platform displayed was limited.
The number of alerts the platform displayed was limited.
Impact
Patient alerts were out of the dashboard and had to wait until the first ones were finished.
Patient alerts were out of the dashboard and had to wait until the first ones were finished.
Lack of instrunction
It wasn’t clear to the nurses how was the procedure to remove a patient’s alert that had already been seen from the dashboard.
It wasn’t clear to the nurses how was the procedure to remove a patient’s alert that had already been seen from the dashboard.
Impact
A patient alert could stay for hours in the dashboard and if it was a high severity alert it could remain at the top, taking space from other alerts to be visualized.
A patient alert could stay for hours in the dashboard and if it was a high severity alert it could remain at the top, taking space from other alerts to be visualized.
Service Blueprint
During the interviews I created a blueprint to look for other issues the users might be facing, and by the end, I came up with four main opportunities to focus the effort on the ideation step:
During the interviews I created a blueprint to look for other issues the users might be facing, and by the end, I came up with four main opportunities to focus the effort on the ideation step:
Accessible Information
Incorporating pertinent information to assist nurses in identifying the cause of the patient's alertness.
Incorporating pertinent information to assist nurses in identifying the cause of the patient's alertness.
Customization
Enabling hospitals to customize platform usage based on their preferences.
Enabling hospitals to customize platform usage based on their preferences.
Scalability
Ensure the scalability of the product and reduce the reliance on opening tickets for technical support.
Ensure the scalability of the product and reduce the reliance on opening tickets for technical support.
Dashboard Management
Empowering users to manage patient alerts.
Empowering users to manage patient alerts.
Ideation
Insight
Workshop
Insight Workshop
Wireframe
Development
Wireframe Development
Design
Critique
Design Critique
Usability
Test
Usability Test
Internal Workshop for Insights
I conducted a workshop to collect insights, business rules, and technical requirements and limitations. There was a large number of internal professionals actively involved in the project such as developers, nurses, doctors, a customer success team, machine learning, and A.I. specialists. This collaboration process brought valuable insights to the project.
I conducted a workshop to collect insights, business rules, and technical requirements and limitations. There was a large number of internal professionals actively involved in the project such as developers, nurses, doctors, a customer success team, machine learning, and A.I. specialists. This collaboration process brought valuable insights to the project.
Wireframe Development
For the initial drafts, I focused on organizing the information on the dashboard to give the internal team an overview of what was important and what wasn’t. I knew that overloading the medical team could be as bad as give them no information at all.
The use of no colors to highlight the severity was one of the hypotheses that it could confuse the medical team since they use colors to categorize another process at the hospital.
These are the initial wireframes:
For the initial drafts, I focused on organizing the information on the dashboard to give the internal team an overview of what was important and what wasn’t. I knew that overloading the medical team could be as bad as give them no information at all.
The use of no colors to highlight the severity was one of the hypotheses that it could confuse the medical team since they use colors to categorize another process at the hospital.
These are the initial wireframes:
Wireframe used for the firsts usability tests.
Other drafts with some variations.
Design Critique
Aiming to expand our options and find the best solution for our users, I’ve conducted a design critique session with our design team. The collaboration was very important and generated lots of insights.
Aiming to expand our options and find the best solution for our users, I’ve conducted a design critique session with our design team. The collaboration was very important and generated lots of insights.
Usability Test and Iteration
For the usability tests we targeted hospitals that we considered heavy users and I conducted both remote and face-to-face usability tests. The users were very excited with the new design and features, and came up with constructive feedback and suggestions to improve the dashboard.
For the usability tests we targeted hospitals that we considered heavy users and I conducted both remote and face-to-face usability tests. The users were very excited with the new design and features, and came up with constructive feedback and suggestions to improve the dashboard.
High-Fidelity Prototype
After some iterations and adjustments, I’ve finished the high-fidelity prototype. Here is the new design:
After some iterations and adjustments, I’ve finished the high-fidelity prototype. Here is the new design:
Score and Historical Chart
The inclusion of a value between 0 and 10 and colors to indicate the severity.
The inclusion of a value between 0 and 10 and colors to indicate the severity.
Impact
Impact
Facilitate the analysis of the patient’s situation and enhance the recognition of severity levels.
Facilitate the analysis of the patient’s situation and enhance the recognition of severity levels.
Patient Information and Status
Patient Information and Status
Identification
A patient is identified by the number of the bad and the first letters of the name.
A patient is identified by the number of the bad and the first letters of the name.
Impact
Avoid easy recognition by visitors for privacy, as some dashboards are located in visible areas of the hospital.
Avoid easy recognition by visitors for privacy, as some dashboards are located in visible areas of the hospital.
Pending Procedures
Pending medical exams, prescriptions, or any relevant information about the patient's condition.
Pending medical exams, prescriptions, or any relevant information about the patient's condition.
Impact
Decreased the time to analyze extra information that could impact medical care.
Decreased the time to analyze extra information that could impact medical care.
Status
Status
Two steps for patient care: “Waiting for primary care” and “Waiting for the Doctor’s care.
Two steps for patient care: “Waiting for primary care” and “Waiting for the Doctor’s care.
Impact
Impact
Improved the management by showing what patients were already checked.
Improved the management by showing what patients were already checked.
Status
Two steps for patient care: “Waiting for primary care” and “Waiting for the Doctor’s care.
Impact
Improved the management by showing what patients were already checked.
Custom Protocols
Configuration of custom protocols according to the hospital's internal standard care.
Configuration of custom protocols according to the hospital's internal standard care.
Impact
Flexibility for the customers and scalability for the business.
Flexibility for the customers and scalability for the business.
Vital Signals and/or Medical Exams
Visualization of the last three vital signals results and medical exam results. In case of any change, the result number turns red to highlight the alteration.
Visualization of the last three vital signals results and medical exam results. In case of any change, the result number turns red to highlight the alteration.
Impact
Optimization of medical conduct analyses.
Vital Signals and/or Medical Exams
Visualization of the last three vital signals results and medical exam results. In case of any change, the result number turns red to highlight the alteration.
Impact
Optimization of medical conduct analyses.
Cards
The cards are organized by severity and I improved the space to include 10 patient alerts. In the small cards, I included the essential information that could impact primary care (vital signals).
The cards are organized by severity and I improved the space to include 10 patient alerts. In the small cards, I included the essential information that could impact primary care (vital signals).
Impact
Improve prioritization and empower the medical team.
Improve prioritization and empower the medical team.
Documentation
Some images of the documentation.
Impacts and Results
Since I left the company before the launch I didn’t follow the results. But here are some expected results and metrics I aimed for these projects:
Since I left the company before the launch I didn’t follow the results. But here are some expected results and metrics I aimed for these projects:
Reduce the time of patient care in ICUs by providing essential information to medical staff for earlier sepsis detection.
Reduce the progression of ICU patients to severe sepsis.
Increased the flow of new patient alerts due to the configuration of custom protocols.
Improve customer retention by empowering the users with essential information.
Final version of the dashboard.
Final version of the dashboard.
Final version of the dashboard.