eVisite
The digital patient file for
the paperless hospital.
In collaboration with:
Christian Laesser
Susanne Schubert
Designed for:
FH Potsdam
Supervised by:
Prof. Dr. Frank Heidmann
Year of origin:
2010
Concept
Even today, classical paper-based patient files are used throughout hospitals to document and view information. At the very front of the file is usually a specially folded curve sheet in DIN A1 format with the most important information on the patient and his treatment status. The analogue patient file in this form, however, has many disadvantages. For example, there is always only one copy, which not only leads to the risk of loss, but also makes work more difficult, as not only one of the hospital staff is dealing with a patient. In addition, this also results in a high research and archiving expenditure. eVISITE+ is not only intended to reduce the expenditure for nursing staff and administration and offer improved clarity, handling and availability of patient files and curve sheets, but also to integrate additional functions by the use of this electronic medium and which make the course of the disease more transparent for the patient.
Process
In addition to the classic research on current hardware and software solutions, expert interviews with doctors, nurses and medical students led to valuable insights into the current situation and the current state of development. The interviews also provided an impression of the usage requirements as well as initial feature requests. In addition, personas have been created to keep track of the needs and demands of all user groups. Specific scenarios and use cases were then recorded for each user group in order to assess and delimit the range of functions of the application. The top priority in the subsequent development of information architecture and wireframes has always been to reduce the number of functions and to create a clear design. For evaluation purposes, a user test was developed in which the experts ran through the scenarios using an interactive Flash prototype. This was recorded during video chats using screen capturing and later evaluated. At the end, the test persons were asked to complete an online questionnaire. The findings from the evaluation were finally incorporated into the design draft.
Design
Login
Entering personal user data allows access to the software only. Subsequently, appointments and tasks of the respective user are synchronized and the functional scope of the software is individualized according to the user rights.
Mode Selection
The user receives a general overview of a ward in the drop-down menu under ward overview (see map view) or can enter the patient name or scan the barcode directly into the required patient file.
Map View
In the left pull-out menu, the user has quick access to the station he is looking for and can filter the map view according to various factors. In the free zoom and moveable map applicable beds are displayed green, non-applicable grey and vacant ones white. On the right side the corresponding patients are listed sorted by room. When selected, the user goes directly to the file of the respective patient.
Patient Data
Here the user can find general information about the patient and his insurance status as well as his anamnesis data. When the patient file is opened for the first time during a session, important information – such as existing infectious diseases – is marked in a pop-up warning and then highlighted in color. On this start page, diagnoses and diagnostics are also managed. The user can view, edit and create past and current diagnoses by integrating the WHO ICD10 catalogue (database of all diseases, symptoms, etc.). He can also view and request diagnostics.
Dashboard
The personal dashboard of the active user can be found on the right of most subpages of the patient file. Here he will find an overview of his patients and, if the patient selection is active, the corresponding upcoming tasks as well as an overview of the appointments for the respective day.
Curve
Under Curve, the user can monitor the vital signs in the temporal course. He can add parameters as needed or remove them for improved clarity. Critical and limit values color the curve red. In addition, medications can be set on this page and compliance with the specifications can be checked. This allows the user to assess the effectiveness of the treatment at a glance. Text fields are available at the bottom of the page for detailed prescriptions. For ideal handling, the measuring devices should transfer their data automatically and in real time into the system and offer medication from databases to treatment and dosage recommendations.
Patient View
Both the patient view and the imaging have a list of the available diagnostics of the respective patient on the left. The selected element is displayed extensively in the centre and can be scaled, shifted, rotated and manipulated using gestures for three-dimensional diagnostics. The difference between the patient view and the imaging is, besides the reduction of the displayed information, mainly in the right column. In the patient view, the user finds a library of informative 3D models, images and videos for situations in which he wants to explain facts to the patient, in addition to classical image processing tools. These can be helpful in explaining complex medical procedures and facts and make understanding easier for the patient.
