Background

NDAHealth Innovation faced several issues that were especially evident after the COVID-19 crisis. With an expanding patient base, an increase in the complexity of healthcare services, and a plan to modernize different hospital departments, the company found itself in dire need of restructuring. A strong technical foundation with a focus on delivering the most seamless user experience for its stakeholders became a priority.

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Key Issues and System Challenges

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Lagging System

The Hospital Information System (HIS) currently in use is causing problems for healthcare providers. The system is slow, difficult to use and hinders the ability of healthcare providers to access and update patient information in a timely manner. This leads to delays in diagnosis and treatment, which negatively impacts patient care and satisfaction.

Lack of integration

The HIS is also fragmented, with a lack of integration between different hospital systems, such as laboratories and pharmacies. This means that data is stored in separate silos, increasing the risk of errors and making it difficult for healthcare providers to make informed decisions quickly. The HIS is built on outdated technology, which limits the ability to adopt new digital health tools and systems that could enhance patient care.

Security and Compliance

In addition to these operational issues, there are also serious security and compliance concerns. The HIS has inadequate security measures and poor compliance, posing significant risks to patient privacy and institutional integrity. With rising threats to data security and stricter regulatory requirements like GDPR, it is important to ensure full compliance with current and future regulations.

Technical Limitations

Healthcare professionals find the system difficult to navigate and interact with, reducing their efficiency and increasing their administrative burden. Furthermore, the system is not equipped to handle large volumes of data efficiently, leading to slow data retrieval times and difficulty in generating real-time analytics and insights. These technical limitations highlight the urgent need for a comprehensive system redesign to improve usability and data management capabilities.

Objectives

The objectives of the redesign were centered around three key areas, namely:

• enhanced system integration and user experience
• improved patient care quality
• and robust data security and regulatory compliance

This aimed to significantly reduce the time healthcare providers spent on administrative tasks, allowing for more efficient and effective patient care management. By improving the accuracy and speed of diagnosis and treatment processes, the redesign sought to enhance the overall quality of patient care. Implementing robust data security measures was a critical aspect of the redesign. The updated HIS aimed to ensure high standards of data protection and full compliance with healthcare regulations, addressing previous gaps and safeguarding patient information against emerging security threats. The aim was to provide a more integrated and efficient system that would ensure healthcare providers could access and utilize critical patient information when it was most needed.

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Research Overview

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Methodology

To fully understand the existing challenges and gather insights for the redesign, comprehensive user interviews and surveys were conducted. Participants included a diverse group of stakeholders: healthcare professionals (doctors, nurses, pharmacists, lab technicians), IT staff, patients, and administration staff. These interactions helped to capture a detailed view of their daily workflows, the difficulties they face with the current Hospital Information System (HIS), and the features they desire in an improved system.

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Findings

The current Hospital Information System (HIS) has several challenges. 

Healthcare professionals report slow and cumbersome data entry, the requirement for physical documentation, and a lack of integration with other departmental systems. 

IT staff identified significant technical limitations due to outdated technology, affecting compliance with modern security standards. 

Patients express dissatisfaction with the hospital's digital platforms, which they find functional but not user-friendly. Patients suggest improvements such as a more intuitive user interface and better access to tailored educational materials.

Additionally, a survey of departmental heads showed that 80% face daily challenges due to poor system integration, directly impacting patient treatment timelines and administrative efficiency. Overall, a redesigned HIS is needed to address integration, usability, security, and efficient healthcare delivery.

Collaboration with Engineering Team

In partnership with system administrators and developers, we focused on redesigning the Hospital Information System (HIS) schema to underpin the new user interface. This initiative began with a comprehensive audit of the existing system, identifying key areas for simplification and enhancement based on insights gathered from user interviews and surveys.This collaborative effort ensured that the proposed design improvements were both technically feasible and aligned with the needs of end-users, resulting in a more streamlined and efficient interface.

Strategy and Prioritization

Our strategic redesign of the hospital system focused on enhancing functionality across all user types—patients, healthcare professionals, IT staff, and administrative personnel—through the introduction of specialized dashboards tailored to each group's specific needs.

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Comprehensive Dashboards for All Users: 

We embarked on creating a series of user-specific dashboards that aggregate critical information and functionalities unique to each type of user. These dashboards are designed to streamline processes, improve data access, and enhance overall user experience within the HIS.

• Admin Staff Dashboard Development: To minimize disruption to medical services and rigorously test our solution in a controlled environment, we initially developed and implemented the dashboard for administrative staff. This approach allowed us to refine key functionalities such as managing schedules, accessing operational reports, and monitoring system performance without interfering with critical medical operations. The admin dashboard served as a pilot project to validate the effectiveness of having tailored dashboards before wider deployment.

Unified Patient Profile: 

After establishing the admin dashboard, we extended the strategy to include a unified patient profile that simplifies the process of updating and retrieving patient records. This profile provides a comprehensive view that incorporates real-time data from various departments, effectively highlighting recent changes, pending actions, and critical alerts. It ensures that healthcare providers have instant access to the necessary information to make informed decisions swiftly.

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Intelligent Alert System: 

We also integrated an intelligent alert system designed to notify healthcare providers about crucial patient updates, such as abnormal lab results and potential medication interactions. These alerts help healthcare staff respond promptly to patient needs, improving the quality and timeliness of care provided.

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Dynamic Patient Timeline: 

A dynamic visual representation of each patient’s treatment history was developed, enhancing both provider and patient access to historical and current treatment data. This timeline aids in tracking treatment progress and updates, offering a valuable tool for continuous care and historical health record review.

This phased approach, starting with the admin staff dashboard, ensured that each step of the system enhancement was thoughtfully tested and implemented, paving the way for a comprehensive rollout to all user groups, thereby optimizing the HIS for better efficiency, security, and user engagement across the board.

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Collaboration

During the entirety of the project, I was responsible with spearheading the redesign of a hospital system and ensuring that the final product met diverse needs and high standards. I led a skilled team of UX/UI designers and worked closely with developers and data scientists to foster a rich collaborative environment, allowing for the seamless integration of design, functionality, and advanced data solutions.

To tackle the challenges of integrating complex data sources in a user-friendly manner, we conducted a series of design thinking workshops. These sessions were instrumental in brainstorming innovative solutions that would enhance user interaction with the system, making complex processes intuitive and accessible.

Regular updates and feedback sessions with all stakeholders, including hospital administrators, healthcare providers, and IT staff, were integral to the process. This ongoing engagement ensured that the project remained aligned with broader business objectives and healthcare standards, and that adjustments could be made in real-time to address emerging needs or concerns.

Recognizing the critical input of end-users, we organized co-design sessions with healthcare professionals. These sessions were crucial for iteratively developing the dashboard layouts and ensuring that the dashboards were not only functionally comprehensive but also tailored to the specific workflows and preferences of the hospital staff.