Building and testing a patient-centric electronic bedside communication center

Area of Science:

• Health Informatics
• Patient-Centered Care
• Human-Computer Interaction

Background:

• Hospitalized patients and their families often face challenges accessing timely and relevant health information.
• Effective communication is crucial for patient engagement and improving healthcare outcomes.
• Existing communication methods may not fully meet the needs of modern acute care settings.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe the development and pilot testing of an electronic bedside communication center (eBCC) prototype.
• To enhance access to tailored health information for hospitalized adults and their family caregivers.
• To evaluate the usability and helpfulness of the eBCC in an acute care environment.

Main Methods:

• Iterative, participatory design approach involving focus groups and bedside interviews.
• Usability testing of the eBCC prototype with hospitalized patients.
• Qualitative data collection to inform prototype refinement.

Main Results:

• The eBCC prototype was successfully developed through a user-centered iterative process.
• Pilot testing indicated the eBCC is easy to use for patients and caregivers.
• Participants found the eBCC helpful for accessing specific health information during hospitalization.

Conclusions:

• The developed eBCC prototype shows promise for improving health information access in inpatient settings.
• User feedback was integral to creating a functional and beneficial communication tool.
• Further development and testing of the eBCC are warranted to support patient and caregiver needs.