A Call to Action We Couldn’t Resist

In early November, HealthEd answered a call for designers to “create a better patient experience” by “reshap[ing] the way health records are presented.” As with any initiative that aligns with our own passions and reflects the core mission of our company, we accepted the challenge with child-like glee.

The challenge was a collaborative effort between The Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) and the US Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). The intention was to re-imagine how personal health records (PHR) could be improved for clarity, readability, and visual appeal.

The HealthEd team separated into 2 groups and embarked on a journey of intense effort, amazing thinking, and the kind of satisfaction that results from doing something you really love. Our submissions can be found below; both entries demonstrate how PHR can be integrated into clinical systems, yet rendered accessible across multiple formats.

Health Resume
The Health Resume provides a holistic view of the patient’s current health.  A health score determined by body, emotional, and lifestyle factors helps the patient easily identify where s/he is most healthy and where there’s room for improvement.  Relevant and immediate medical data is presented in an easily consumable format for patients, caregivers, and doctors to quickly gain an understanding of the patient’s active conditions and treatments. 

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The intent of the Resume is to transfer the wealth of medical knowledge from doctor to patient in a way that the patient can understand and take informed action to improve his/her health. 

Patient-Centered Design Pattern
"Patient engagement" starts with patients not only accessing health information but also feeling comfortable and confident enough to act on the health information. With that in mind, the design pattern was built to support behavior change by providing strong visual flags for important information that must be acted on.

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Standardizing how to treat patient information will ensure patients not only have access to their data but can also work successfully toward their health goals. 

 

Venessa Perez

 

 

Comments

[Linda Barber]

The Health Resume is brilliant. On a scale of 1 to 10, I give it a 37. I want to be the very first patient who gets to have her health information delivered in this format. Kudos to the HealthEd team that envisioned and produced this design.

[jamesdouglas]

I think this is a smart idea. I have always disliked that I couldn't understand the doctors records about me. I feel like it should be simpler so that both of us can understand. Then I can take initiative sometimes.

James | http://www.primehc.com