Countless clinicians experience a daily battle against clunky software just to see their patients. Struggling to quickly access crucial information, spending hours on documentation alone – it’s no wonder many feel overwhelmed and burnt out. As health IT providers, we have a responsibility to deliver solutions that empower clinicians, solving for these problems. This is where it’s important to uphold our promise of designing our technology with the end user in mind, otherwise known as healthcare UX.
UX, or user experience, has evolved from simply being a buzzword or making things look pretty. It’s now about deeply understanding the needs and frustrations of the people who use these tools – in this case, our dedicated clinicians. By prioritizing their experience, we can design systems that are intuitive, efficient, and a joy to use. This not only improves clinicians’ workflows and quality of care but also helps your health IT solutions stand out from the competition.
With that said, let’s look at 5 ways you can improve your software’s UX to meet the evolving needs of today’s clinicians.
5 ways to improve the UX of your healthcare IT
1. Intuitive interface design
We often strive for “robust” health IT systems, but it’s easy to cross the line into “overly complex.” The result? Interfaces that are cluttered, confusing, and ultimately hinder, rather than help, clinicians. Remember those old desktop computers with confusing menus and hidden files? That’s how many clinicians feel about their current health IT systems. This “information overload” leads to frustrating delays or, worse, potentially dangerous errors, impacting both user satisfaction and the safety of your platform.
The solution lies in embracing simplicity. Design dashboards that prioritize the most critical information, with intuitive navigation and context-aware UI elements. For example, consider how the system can dynamically adjust the information displayed based on the clinician’s current task or the specific patient they are treating.
It’s important to remember that your perspective as a developer might differ significantly from that of the end user. To ensure your system truly meets their needs, prioritize user testing. By observing how clinicians interact with your interface and complete common tasks, you can identify pain points and refine the design for optimal workflow. This iterative process ensures that your system is not only functional but also a pleasure to use, encouraging clinician adoption and improving overall patient care.
2. Seamless EHR integration
Switching between multiple systems can feel like trying to assemble a puzzle with pieces from a bunch of different boxes. That’s the reality for many clinicians who must navigate multiple disconnected systems throughout their workday. Switching between an EHR, e-prescribing platforms, clearinghouses, and patient communication tools creates a fragmented and inefficient workflow, prone to errors and delays.
Clinicians need (and desire) a central hub where all their essential tools seamlessly integrate. This eliminates the need for constant system switching and the risk of data silos, ensuring everyone involved in a patient’s care has access to the most up-to-date information.
This is where APIs come in. As you’re likely familiar, APIs, or Application Programming Interfaces, are like bridges that allow different software systems to “talk” to each other – enabling real-time data exchange so information flows smoothly between your EHR and other critical tools. “Smoothly” is the keyword here. By leveraging APIs, you can create a truly integrated ecosystem where clinicians can continue to feel supported by your EHR, even as their needs (and software) expand.
3. Streamlined documentation
Studies suggest that clinicians spend nearly as much time on documentation as they do on direct patient care. This means they spend a significant portion of their day interacting with their EHR systems. The quality of this EHR experience can profoundly impact a clinician’s day, influencing their efficiency, energy levels, and overall job satisfaction. If you provide a solution that streamlines documentation, helping clinicians reclaim some of their time for patient care or to simply enjoy a more balanced work-life, your EHR will become an invaluable asset, not just a necessary tool.
Traditionally, documentation has been a tedious process dominated by manual data entry and repetitive typing. In contrast, modern documentation processes leverage advanced technologies to improve efficiency and accuracy.
Features like voice recognition, pre-built templates, and smart auto-fill capabilities can significantly reduce the burden of manual data entry. Additionally, AI-powered tools are transforming documentation processes by allowing clinicians to simply dictate their notes. The system then accurately transcribes and structures the information in real-time, freeing clinicians from tedious typing and allowing them to focus on the patient conversation. Intuitive tools like these help distinguish your solution from the rest by not only offering features but actual solutions to the everyday challenges faced by users.
4. Responsive and mobile-friendly tools
In today’s mobile-first world, clinicians expect to be able to access critical information anytime, anywhere. Fixed, non-responsive systems simply don’t cut it. Health IT tools need to seamlessly adapt to any device, from desktop computers to smartphones and tablets, to truly meet the needs of modern healthcare professionals. Consider the on-the-go nurse who needs to quickly access patient information during rounds, or the physician who needs to review imaging results while at a conference. Without mobile-responsive tools, you risk isolating a significant portion of your target market and hindering the adoption of your EHR.
Integrating with existing mobile devices and applications is one way to quickly enhance the clinician experience. For example, integrating with popular communication platforms like secure messaging apps can facilitate seamless communication between care teams, improving collaboration and coordination. Or, integrating with mobile-responsive e-prescribing tools allows for real-time benefits checks and prescribing, streamlining the medication process and reducing the risk of medication errors.
By embracing a mobile-first approach and prioritizing seamless integration with other mobile applications, you can create a truly user-centered solution that empowers clinicians to deliver the highest quality of care, regardless of their location or the device they are using.
5. Proactive error prevention and alerts
We’ve all experienced the dreaded “alert fatigue” – a constant barrage of notifications that drowns out critical information. The solution isn’t to eliminate alerts altogether, but to make them smarter and more meaningful.
From a UX perspective, one way to address this challenge is to leverage smart alerts tailored to clinician priorities. Instead of bombarding clinicians with generic notifications, the system should prioritize alerts based on their urgency, relevance, and the individual clinician’s preferences.
For example, AI can play a crucial role in developing predictive alerts and providing actionable recommendations. The system could analyze a patient’s medical history, current medications, and lab results to identify potential risks for adverse drug reactions or complications. It could then proactively alert the clinician with specific guidance, such as suggesting alternative medications or recommending additional tests. This proactive approach not only improves patient safety but also reduces the number of irrelevant alerts, minimizing distractions and improving clinician workflow.
Likewise, try to strike a balance between alert necessity and clinician discretion. Users should have the ability to customize alert preferences, filter out irrelevant notifications, and adjust the severity levels of different alerts. This level of control better allows clinicians to manage their workflow effectively and avoid information overload.
The UX revolution in healthcare
Ultimately, the success of your EHR hinges on its ability to empower clinicians. In a competitive market, differentiating yourself requires a user-centered approach. We’re seeing more and more health IT companies prioritize UX, recognizing its critical role in driving adoption and improving user outcomes. By embracing this trend and investing in a human-centered design philosophy, you can create systems that are not only functional but also intuitive and satisfying to use.
NewCrop introduces a new era of prescription management with our mobile app. See how you can leverage this technology to enhance your offerings and improve user workflows. Learn more about NewCrop’s mobile app.