Project Overview
The Problem
Nurse Practitioners (NPs) at DaVita previously spent significant amounts of time navigating the Cerner Electronic Health Record (EHR) system to prepare for their annual visits with patients suffering from Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) or End-Stage Kidney Disease (ESKD). This not only led to frequent frustration but also impacted business revenue, as NPs were unable to see as many patients as they could have with more efficient preparation. To address this challenge, the Patient Care Summary (PCS) was developed. The PCS consolidated critical information from across Cerner into a single, streamlined view, reducing the time NPs spent preparing for visits by half. This enabled them to see more patients in the same amount of time, ultimately increasing DaVita’s revenue through higher government reimbursements. I was tasked with designing the Patient Care Summary (PCS) from the ground up, working closely with DaVita's Product team to create an effective and user-friendly solution.
My Approach
To design the PCS, I focused on understanding the needs and challenges faced by Nurse Practitioners (NPs) who were frustrated with navigating the Cerner EHR system. After gathering insights through user research and interviews, I defined the key functionality needed, including consolidating patient data into one easy-to-read, time-saving summary. I developed wireframes and prototypes, iterating based on feedback from NPs and clinical teams to refine the design. The PCS was structured to present critical data (like lab results, medications, and care history) in a clear, organized way that minimized preparation time. User testing and close collaboration with the Product and Development teams ensured the design was intuitive and could be seamlessly integrated into the Cerner system.
Key Objectives
Streamline Information Access: Consolidate critical patient data into an easy-to-digest view to minimize the time spent navigating multiple systems and screens.
Enhance User Efficiency: Design a layout that allows Nurse Practitioners to quickly access and review relevant patient information, reducing preparation time.
Prioritize Data Clarity: Organize clinical data and care history in a clear, visually distinct format that enables NPs to quickly understand key information at a glance.
Improve Usability Through Iterative Design: Conduct user testing and gather feedback from NPs to refine the design, ensuring the tool is intuitive and meets their real-world needs in a clinical setting.
Enable Seamless Integration: Collaborate with the Product and Development teams to ensure the PCS integrates smoothly with the Cerner EHR system, supporting a seamless user experience.
Research & Discovery
Understanding the User
To design the PCS, I focused on deeply understanding the needs of Nurse Practitioners, who are critical in managing patients with Chronic Kidney Disease and End-Stage Kidney Disease. I began by shadowing NPs to identify their pain points with the existing Cerner EHR system, such as time constraints, data overload, and lack of clarity. I created user workflow analyses to better understand their tasks and challenges, ensuring the PCS would fit seamlessly into their workflow. Additionally, I collaborated with clinical experts and our highly-knowledgable Product team to ensure the design prioritized the most relevant patient data, such as the patient’s key demographic details and problem list.
Getting Into the Field
To better understand DaVita’s NPs in a real-world setting, I conducted immersive research at dialysis clinics to better grasp the challenges Nurse Practitioners faced with Cerner. By shadowing NPs, I observed how they navigated fragmented patient data, leading to inefficiencies and frustration. I also worked with the UX Research team to conduct interviews with NPs and clinic staff to gather insights on their specific pain points, such as time constraints and the need for more streamlined access to key patient information when preparing for their annual patient checkups.
Leveraging the UX Research Team
I collaborated closely with the UX research team throughout the design process. Our combined efforts allowed us to gather deep insights into NPs’ workflows, pain points, and the specific challenges they faced when using Cerner. Together, we defined clear research objectives: to understand NPs' daily tasks, identify bottlenecks in the current system, and determine which patient data they needed most during their annual visits. We wanted to ensure the PCS would reduce time spent navigating the system and provide relevant, actionable insights to improve patient care. We conducted user interviews to capture firsthand feedback about their experience with Cerner. This helped us identify specific pain points, such as how they spent excessive time searching for lab results, medications, and care history, and allowed us to tailor the PCS design to address these issues.
Cross-Functional Collaboration
Aligning with Product
From the outset, I collaborated with DaVita’s Product team to define the core objectives of the PCS. We shared insights from user research and established a clear understanding of the NPs' challenges, such as inefficiencies in accessing critical patient data within the Cerner EHR system. The Product team provided valuable input on the broader goals of the tool, including improving care coordination, increasing NP efficiency, and supporting DaVita's mission to provide high-quality dialysis care. By aligning on both user needs and product goals, we ensured the PCS would meet both clinical and business requirements.
Working with Legal and Compliance
As we progressed through the design and prototyping phases, the Legal and Compliance teams played a key role in reviewing the features and functionality of the PCS to ensure it aligned with both privacy and patient consent requirements. For example, when displaying certain patient information, we needed to confirm that the appropriate consent was obtained and that the data was not exposed inappropriately. Legal advisors also ensured that any disclaimers or privacy notifications were clearly communicated to users to safeguard DaVita against potential legal risks.
User Testing & Design Iterations
Validating Designs with Nurse Practitioners
I used NP user panels to validate my initial designs, gathering direct feedback from Nurse Practitioners to ensure the PCS was both functional and intuitive. Additionally, I found the UX Team design reviews invaluable for gaining insights from experienced designers, which helped me approach the design from fresh perspectives. For example, in reviewing the two iterations of the overview container, which displayed key patient demographic information and consents, I discovered several areas for improvement.
After testing version 1 with users, it became clear that the structure needed adjustments, such as grouping related data points more logically and removing unnecessary information. I also enhanced the visual hierarchy by clearly differentiating patient tags based on urgency, making it easier for NPs to prioritize critical information at a glance. Finally, I added a link to the NP Dashboard, allowing for seamless navigation from the PCS to the patient roster, further improving workflow efficiency.
These iterations, driven by user feedback and collaborative design reviews, helped refine the PCS to better meet user needs and enhance overall usability.
Version 1
Version 2
Handing Off to Dev and QA
Helping the Team Understand the Vision
The development handoff process for the Patient Care Summary was a critical stage in ensuring that the design was successfully translated into a fully functional product. Given the complexity of the project and the importance of aligning on both design and technical requirements, I worked closely with the developer and QA teams to ensure a smooth transition from design to implementation. Before development began, I led a knowledge transfer session with the two teams. During this session, I walked through the entire PCS workflow, explaining the rationale behind key design decisions and ensuring everyone understood the intended user experience.
Ensuring the Final Product Aligns with the Design
As the developers began working on the PCS, I stayed involved in the process, providing support as needed to clarify design details and resolve any issues that arose. We held daily check-ins to review progress, discuss challenges, and iterate on the design as needed based on development feedback. Once development reached a stage where the PCS was ready for QA testing, I worked closely with the QA team to ensure that the product met both functional and design requirements. I provided them with a test plan that included specific criteria for checking key interactions and UI elements.
Launching the NP PCS
Aligning Teams for a Smooth PCS Deployment
Once the PCS had passed through QA testing, I conducted a final review with both the developer and QA teams to ensure everything was aligned with the design vision and that all requirements were met. This included verifying that any last-minute updates were implemented, and ensuring the design elements were consistent across the app. We also reviewed the launch plan to ensure a smooth deployment, including user training materials and any necessary support documentation. This ensured that NPs would have a seamless experience once the PCS was live.
Future Enhancements
Patient Details Sidebar
As part of future enhancements to the NP PCS, we plan to introduce a sidebar that will provide Nurse Practitioners with quick access to key patient information, including essential lab results, active medications, recent procedures, and radiology reports. This feature will streamline patient assessments by consolidating critical data in one place, allowing NPs to efficiently evaluate patients and develop targeted follow-up treatment plans. By reducing the time spent searching for information, the sidebar will improve workflow, enhance decision-making, and ultimately lead to better patient care and outcomes.
AI Smart Search
The next major enhancement planned for the NP PCS is the development of an AI-powered smart search tool designed to streamline the process of finding relevant patient documentation. This tool will enable Nurse Practitioners to quickly and easily search through extensive patient records using keywords or phrases, drastically reducing the time they currently spend sifting through files. With this feature, NPs will be able to search not only for specific patient information, such as lab results or medication history, but also for clinical notes, past treatment plans, and diagnostic reports. This smart search tool will not only save valuable time but also reduce the risk of overlooking important information, ultimately improving the quality and speed of patient assessments. By leveraging AI to surface the most pertinent data, we aim to enhance decision-making, optimize workflows, and allow NPs to focus more on patient care, rather than spending excessive time on documentation retrieval.
The Results
Conclusion
Revolutionizing NP Workflows: Designing the Patient Care Summary to Enhance Efficiency and Patient Care
In conclusion, my work on the NP Patient Care Summary (PCS) project aimed to address key pain points faced by Nurse Practitioners in managing and accessing critical patient information. By collaborating closely with the Product and UX research teams, and deeply understanding the workflow of NPs, I was able to design a streamlined, user-centered solution that would not only improve efficiency but also enhance the quality of patient care.
The design process was informed by real-world insights gained from field research, user feedback, and collaboration with cross-functional teams, ensuring that the final product addressed both user needs and technical requirements. Through iterative design, testing, and feedback loops, we developed a PCS that significantly reduced the time NPs spent gathering and reviewing patient data, allowing them to focus more on patient care.
Key features, such as intuitive data grouping, prioritization of urgent patient tags, and seamless navigation between patient records, were implemented to ensure that NPs could quickly assess critical information and make informed decisions. As we continue to improve the PCS, future enhancements like the AI-powered search tool and the sidebar for real-time patient data will further optimize workflows and empower NPs to deliver even more personalized and timely care.
Ultimately, the NP PCS is designed to improve efficiency, reduce cognitive load, and ensure that Nurse Practitioners can deliver the best possible care to patients with Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) and End-Stage Kidney Disease (ESKD). Through this project, I was able to contribute to a solution that not only addressed user challenges but also aligned with DaVita's broader mission of providing high-quality, patient-centered care.
