Designing Shift Handoff Software: Clinical Learners and Design Students Collaborate Using the "Design Thinking"...

Area of Science:

• Health Systems Science
• Medical Informatics
• Human-Computer Interaction

Background:

• Effective patient handoffs are vital for patient safety.
• Current electronic medical record (EMR) tools often lack functionality and have poor usability for handoffs.
• Standardized workflows are recommended but not adequately supported by existing technology.

Purpose of the Study:

• To improve the design of patient handoff tools within an internal medicine residency program.
• To identify requirements and develop novel interface prototypes for handoff support.
• To teach health systems science concepts through an inter-professional design initiative.

Main Methods:

• Utilized Design Thinking principles and methods throughout the product design lifecycle.
• Collaborated between a medical informatics program and a school of architecture and design.
• Focused on improving usability and functionality of electronic handoff tools.

Main Results:

• Generated novel interface designs for patient handoff tools.
• Identified key requirements for effective electronic handoff support.
• Successfully integrated health systems science education with design principles.

Conclusions:

• Design Thinking offers a valuable framework for improving health IT usability.
• Inter-professional collaboration can lead to innovative solutions for clinical workflow challenges.
• Enhanced handoff tools have the potential to improve patient safety and care quality.