Clinician Portal | Vapotherm
COPD patient triage and device management, at-a-glance.
what i did
UI + Visual Design
User Research
tools
FigJam
Maze
timeline
Overview
Vapotherm began the clinical development of a transportable oxygen therapy device aimed to help patients diagnosed with COPD manage and alleviate their symptoms.
While Vapotherm was developing the physical device, I was hired to design an ecosystem surrounding the device, supporting both Clinicians and COPD Patients.
the context
As the sole designer on the team, I designed the Access365 Portal to offer an at-a-glance COPD patient triage and device management experience for Health Care Providers (HCPs) and Durable Medical Equiptment Providers (DMEs).
During the course of this project I...
Identified key workflows
Created the information architecture for the application
Designed low to high fidelity wireframes
Defined product look and feel
Conducted user testing and improved design based on findings
the preliminary research
Wait a minute... what is COPD?
COPD or "Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease" is a disease that restricts your ability to breathe. This disease gets progressively worse over time, and while there is no cure for COPD, patients with COPD can learn to manage their symptoms.
The web of support
There is a support system surrounding COPD patients. This is comprised of Caregivers and Family, Health Care Providers (HCP), and Durable Medical Equipment Providers (DME).
While the ecosystem surrounding the device includes all of those included in this web of support, this product is targeted towards Health Care Providers (HCPs), and Durable Medical Equipment Providers (DMEs).
The problem
Research methods
After conducting surveys, interviewing healthcare professionals, and reading previously conducted research reports, I uncovered pain points within the current COPD patient and device management experience.
pain points
sync
Connection delay
Currently, device usage and symptom information is 24 hours behind, further delaying when they can support their patients.
sort
Prioritization
Current software struggles to provide a streamlined triage process for both patients and devices.
HCP's and DME's are spending time sorting through granular data points to determine who needs their attention the most.
trending_up
Trend indicators
Current software does not offer trend indicators, linking data to an upward or downward trend.
Trend indicators can enable HCP's and DME's to resolve issues with patients and devices before issues increase in severity.
people
Bandwidth
Staff shortages are a key point of stress for both HCP's and DME's.
Lower bandwith means that HCP's and DME's have to limit the time they spend with devices and patients in order to service everyone in a timely manner.
HCP's and DME's are overwhelmed and struggling to manage their patients and devices with the tools they currently have.
It is becoming increasingly difficult to properly mange patients and their devices, leading to a decrease in quality of care
so, how can we make a difference?
By identifying core problem areas, I can then distill questions to create a into grounding questions to lead me through the design process.
How might we...
enable HCPs and DMEs to confidently prioritize attention towards patients and devices?
make identifying upward and downward trends effortless?
present actionable and meaningful data, right when users need it?
let's iterate!
The MVP structure
I started off by identifying core workflows needed for the product based on user insights.
At-a-glance patient table
Daily and manual patient reports
Device remote servicing and management
It's important to note that we needed to take technical and timeline limitations in consideration, resulting in a scoped back features list.
The wireframes
With the structure identified, I moved on to wireframing. Throughout the project, I focused on rapid iteration with time in between designing to discuss with the team about what is and isn't working and why.
The feedback
Feedback from early users showed that they liked the look and feel of the UI, and were impressed with the functionality and intuitiveness of the dashboard.
I identified a few areas of improvement after reviewing testing results, primarily centered around secondary workflows. Improvements identified includes...
Refine page structure to better highlight CTA's
Condense workflows to minimize back and forth, especially flows dealing with clinical information
Revise and simplify information architecture
The design language
I also explored options for the visual design language for the portal. I landed on a rounded, clean UI that conveys reliability for medical professionals.
Final deliverable
The dashboard
After further iterations, I created a dashboard for clinicians and DME's that manage patients with COPD and are prescribed Vapotherm's home therapy device.
The dashboard has four core components, patient search, quick actions, at-a-glance view for key patient and device metrics, and a more in-depth patient management table.
Core features
Triage at-a-glance
Patient trends and compliance information help better inform clinicians on where their immediate care and support will matter most.
Simplified patient reporting
Easily create and save all-inclusive summary reports, ensuring clinicians have the most up-to-date information when and where they need it.
Streamlined device management
Identify and address time-sensitive device alarms and manage disposable items to ensure patient safety and comfort.
what i learned
One size does not, in fact, fit all
Budgets, timelines, and other potential project constraints are all factors that I became aware of very quickly during this project. Rather than sticking to a strict design process, I found it SIGNIFICANTLY more helpful to see design methods as a part of a "toolbox" that I can use when the time is right, and where budget allows.