Problem Statement

Existing systems for patient management in psychiatric settings often suffer from inefficiencies that impact clinical operations negatively:

• Complex and Overwhelming User Interface: Current systems present an overload of information, leading to increased cognitive load and errors.
• Inefficient Patient Tracking: Difficulty in tracking and updating patient information, resulting in delays and miscommunications.
• Cumbersome Note Taking: Psychiatry notes are often complex and lengthy, making documentation time-consuming and prone to omissions.

Objectives

• Simplify User Interface: Create a clean and efficient interface that emphasizes important information and actions.
• Enhance Patient Management: Improve the tracking and updating of patient files to foster better workflow management.
• Streamline Psychiatry Notes Creation: Facilitate the documentation process, making it more intuitive and quicker for practitioners.

Methodology

Research and Insight Gathering

• Stakeholder Interviews: Engaged with doctors, nurses, and administrative staff to gather insights on their experiences and challenges.
• User Flow Analysis: Examined existing workflows to identify bottlenecks and pain points in managing patient information and notes.

Key Findings

• Users desired a more intuitive navigation that minimized clicks and scrolling.
• There was a need for a more straightforward system for entering and updating patient details.
• Documentation processes were lengthy, and users wanted templates and suggestions to expedite note-taking.

Design Solutions

1. Streamlined User Interface

• Dashboard Redesign: Centralized access to essential features such as new referrals, yesterday's referrals, and outstanding tasks.
• Improved Navigation: Implemented a top-level menu making it easier to switch between patient management and note-taking modules.

2. Efficient Patient Management System

• Simplified Data Entry: Reduced the complexity of data entry forms by organizing fields logically and making mandatory fields easily identifiable.
• Comprehensive Search and Filters: Enhanced search functionality with advanced filters, enabling quick access and sorting of patient records.

3. Enhanced Psychiatry Note Taking

• Template and Auto-suggest: Integrated templates for common psychiatry notes and an auto-suggest feature for frequently used terms to speed up documentation.
• Data Integrity and Privacy Features: Incorporated clear consents (Terms & Conditions) and consistent prompts for patient privacy considerations.

Outcomes

• Improved Usability: The design reduced the time spent on administrative tasks, allowing more focus on patient care.
• Positive User Feedback: Clinics reported increased satisfaction due to the application's ease of use and efficiency.
• Higher Data Integrity: Streamlined workflows contributed to more complete and accurate patient records.

Reflections and Future Directions

• Iterative Design Process: Continuous feedback from healthcare staff was crucial in iterating and refining the application design.
• Next Steps: Explore integration with other healthcare systems and expand on machine learning features for predictive healthcare insights.

In conclusion, the CliniDocs redesign substantially improved user experience and operational efficiency in clinical settings, facilitating better patient management and documentation practices.