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PROJECT: HOSPICE END TO END UX

competitive analysis > user research > information architecture > prototype > user testing > revised prototype > design collaboration > implementation > continuous iterations

Project context

The story

Background

In a pandemic filled world my friend and I were out for a socially distanced walk - to check in on each other and share information on to navigate these new waters. She told me about long hours on the phone transcribing notes the hospice nurses had from video “home” patient visits into the physical patient files back in the office where only she was allowed for COVID-19 safety precautions.

It was A LOT. Not only were they trying to navigate COVID-19 with terminally ill patients, their previous system wasn’t easily supporting the nurses in this online care environment.

Platform research

Based on my experience with Knack, I identified it as a viable solution for their electronic health record needs. I advised the organization to conduct due diligence, ensuring the platform met their specific business, privacy, and security requirements.

In August 2020, the project received approval for a pilot phase. I volunteered my expertise to lead the information architecture and develop a proof of concept for board review.

Guided by the Design Justice principles, my approach prioritized:

• User-centricity: Centering the needs of nurses and the organization to ensure seamless and exceptional care to terminally ill patients and their families.

• Empowerment: Teaching the organization the tools and processes necessary to maintain full ownership of the system.

Information architecture and building a proof concept: August 2020

Faced with a tight timeline and the need to re-familiarize myself with the software, I led collaborative working sessions with the executive director and the implementation manager. My goal was to shift the focus from merely digitizing paper forms to building a robust, long-term digital strategy.

I guided them through critical operational hurdles with targeted discovery on topics I identified during discovery:

• Technical requirements: Establishing offline protocols for remote patient visits.

• Functional requirements: Identifying essential information for data exports.

• Compliance requirements: Defining HIPAA-aligned data retention and archiving protocols for the nurses.

Within weeks, I translated these insights into a comprehensive set of application requirements and a functional proof of concept.

Phase 1 build: September 2020 - January 2021

After securing approvals from the nurse team and board of directors, we launched the Phase 1 build using Knack. I began by aligning expectations on the working relationship and the project requirements, and establishing a regular feedback loop with the implementation manager to meet our January 2021 deadline.

Key highlights of this phase included:

• Human-centered design: Rather than a literal paper-to-digital translation, I optimized layouts for iPad use and field-nursing workflows, utilizing custom code to enhance Knack’s native capabilities.

• Process optimization: I facilitated a review of data collection practices, helping the staff eliminate non-critical data points to streamline the digital experience.

• Architecture integrity: By prioritizing a patient-centric database structure and clean information architecture, I prevented future technical debt and ensured scalability.

As we rounded the corner into the end of the year, the implementation manager used weekly team meetings to train the nurses on the application. We successfully transitioned the team to full digital use by January 18, 2021.

Iterations and Phase 2 build

Post-launch, I transitioned into a mentorship role, training the implementation manager in system troubleshooting and database management. In April 2021, we expanded functionality for office administration while refining the core user experience through several key design principles:

• Information hierarchy: Simplifying layouts to ensure essential data remained visible and actionable.

• System integrity: Designing "guardrails" to prevent accidental data loss or user error.

• Standardization: Developing a mini content and design system to ensure consistent language and UI patterns.

The Result: The platform now scales with the organization. It has successfully integrated new bereavement services and social work workflows, allowing nurses to shift their focus from paperwork to patient care. I continue to oversee high-level database architecture and UX strategy for all major expansions.

Project Retrospective

The project is on-going so it is helpful to think about what we can keep doing well, and what could be improved upon.