Design Specifications for an Automated System to Deliver Instructions About Preprocedure Fasting.

Area of Science:

• Medical Informatics
• Human-Computer Interaction
• Patient Safety

Background:

• Standard preprocedure fasting instructions (e.g., NPO after midnight) often lead to prolonged fasting periods.
• Delays in procedure scheduling exacerbate the issue, causing unnecessary patient discomfort and potential health risks.
• A technological solution is needed to personalize and automate fasting instructions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine design specifications for an automated system delivering preprocedure fasting instructions.
• To enhance patient experience by aligning fasting duration with actual needs.
• To explore patient preferences for interacting with such a system.

Main Methods:

• Qualitative study utilizing the persona-scenario method with 14 adult participants.
• Participants developed personas and scenarios to simulate interaction with an automated fasting instruction system.
• Analysis of themes from scenarios to derive design specifications.

Main Results:

• Nine persona-scenarios were developed, reflecting diverse patient experiences (outpatient/inpatient, varying tech comfort, language barriers).
• Automated bidirectional short message service (SMS) was a preferred delivery method.
• Key patient priorities identified: enhanced patient-provider communication and user-friendly technology.

Conclusions:

• The study provides actionable design specifications for patient-centered automated preprocedure fasting instruction systems.
• Implementing these specifications can improve patient adherence and satisfaction.
• Focus on clear communication and accessible technology is crucial for system adoption.