Improving Parents' Experience in the Pediatric Emergency Waiting Room: Researching the Most Optimal Design for an...

Area of Science:

• Human-Computer Interaction
• Pediatric Healthcare
• User Experience Design

Background:

• Pediatric emergency waiting rooms present challenges for parents and patients.
• Improving the patient/parent experience is crucial for understanding the care process and optimizing patient-caregiver relationships.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine parents' information needs in pediatric emergency waiting rooms.
• To design an effective information tool to enhance the waiting room experience.
• To improve patient understanding of the care process and the patient-caregiver relationship.

Main Methods:

• Exploratory interviews were conducted to understand parents' information requirements.
• Benchmark research was performed to identify existing solutions and best practices.
• A focus group session with parents identified specific information needs and preferred formats, leading to paper mock-ups.

Main Results:

• Parents expressed a preference for an information screen over a smartphone application.
• A designed mock-up effectively visualizes and explains the care process.
• The mock-up clearly indicates the patient's position within the waiting queue.

Conclusions:

• An information screen is a preferred format for delivering information to parents in pediatric waiting rooms.
• The developed mock-up successfully addresses key parental information needs, enhancing understanding and potentially improving the overall experience.