How does information flow through the ICU, and how can it be improved?

Challenge

ICU rooms are typically small, and as new technology is developed, equipment takes up more and more space. Our client had a handful of devices in the pipeline that would be introduced within the next 5 years, and they wanted to see if there was a way to consolidate devices (or at least their screens) in a way that would help nurses, rather than creating confusion or inefficiencies in their workflow. Is consolidation of value to nurses, and if so, how?

Approach

We started by reviewing existing research reports and speaking with members within each business unit of the devices a consolidated device would leverage. We then recruited 7 ICU nurses to talk us through their routines and patterns to start to understand the flow of information within ICU rooms and across the unit. Since this project took place during Omicron, we were unable to go in person to observe their workflows ourselves, so we had to rely on their report and photos.

After synthesizing what we found in the first round of research in close partnership with our client, we developed stimuli as “starter concepts,” recruited more nurses, and went back into the virtual field. We used these concepts to spark conversation around what would help and what would add more complexity within their already intense days.

Outcomes

We built a framework for how information should be curated across the unit to meet nurses shifting needs across different moments over the course of their day. We mapped on 4 use-cases according to location across the ICU.

Industry
Healthcare

Team
Researcher (me)
Interaction designer
Creative director
Account director
Project manager

Role
Leading stakeholder interviews
Managing recruitment
Writing discussion guides
Moderating user interviews
Analyzing + synthesizing data
Gathering insights