[Translated article] Designing a patient onboarding in a multidisciplinary severe asthma unit

Area of Science:

• Medical Sciences
• Healthcare Management
• Patient Experience

Background:

• Severe asthma requires multidisciplinary care.
• Current patient onboarding may not meet patient and professional needs.
• Optimizing the initial patient experience is crucial for effective chronic disease management.

Purpose of the Study:

• To design a patient onboarding process for a multidisciplinary severe asthma unit.
• To align the onboarding process with the identified needs of patients and healthcare professionals.
• To improve patient self-care and professional-patient communication within the unit.

Main Methods:

• A qualitative study employing human-centered design principles.
• Three workshops involving patients, professionals, and methodology experts.
• Development of patient journey maps, solution selection, and definition of key onboarding moments and tools.

Main Results:

• Identified patient needs: better disease control, autonomy, two-way communication, and coordinated care.
• Identified professional needs: structured information, unified approach, and sustained open communication.
• Defined key onboarding moments, involved professionals, and developed tools like a patient diary and asthma infographic.

Conclusions:

• Designed and standardized a patient onboarding process for severe asthma units.
• The process facilitates self-care and empathetic, two-way communication.
• Findings offer a model for other multidisciplinary care units.