This project investigates ways to improve the pre-surgical experience at Sunnybrook through interdisciplinary collaboration and design-thinking. Currently in its research phase, SunnyOp aims to create a digital solution for healthcare data which can be linked to provincial systems to develop best practices and improve quality of care.
Sunnybrook’s current pre-surgical process is complex for staff, patients, and caregivers to both navigate and use. There are several interfaces and a massive amount of data exchange required to successfully move a patient through the pre-surgical system. This project aims to make this process more streamlined, improve user experience, and produce better surgical outcomes.
A literature review and work domain analysis were done to better understand the perioperative process as a whole and its high-level concepts. User interviews were then conducted to gain insight into specific user experiences when navigating the system interfaces and completing tasks.
Using the knowledge gained from the literature review and user interviews, an information architecture map was made to highlight data exchange and interfaces. This visualized the underlying structure and information flow to facilitate the design team’s understanding of the pre-surgical process.
A number of systems maps were developed to show the relationships of users, tools, tasks, and data within the pre-surgical process.
Diagrams were created for each user and overlaid into one “gigamap” to demonstrate the enormous volume of data exchange. The build-up of lines in the GIF below shows that more users in the system increase the number of interactions and, subsequently, system complexity.
From this activity, a number of significant insights were drawn including:
1) The importance of interfaces varies depending on users and their specific task list
2) The high-traffic line clusters indicate increased data flow and user interaction which suggests vital connection points
3) The complexity of the map indicates the complexity of the overall system
A timeline of interfaces further visualizes the organization and temporal relationships within the pre-surgical process.
From this activity, a number of insights were drawn including:
1) Most of the ancillary systems do not communicate with each other
2) Some of the same health data is stored in different interfaces which increases workload and complexity for users
3) There is still heavy dependence on analog records preventing real-time health documentation and sharing
The information architecture diagram, systems maps, and interface timeline were combined into an interactive project document accessible below. This provides a central place for visualizations and insights from completing these design research activities.
Mapping relationships and concepts in the pre-surgical system helped the team gain a comprehensive understanding of this complex system. Insights gained from the research phase helped develop activities for the project's design charrette. This aims to gather information from users with first-hand experience in the pre-surgical process including staff, patients, and their caregivers.
With the goal of recruiting 24 stakeholders, each participant will receive a welcome box with activities that will review workflows, challenges, and opportunities. Individual interviews and group work sessions will then be conducted to learn more and ideate possible solutions for SunnyOp.
Findings from the design charrette will be used for further user interviews, prototyping workshops, and developing an e-platform that gathers health information from patients’ wearable devices. Ultimately, this project aims to streamline the pre-surgical process, improve user experience, and produce better outcomes for surgical patients in Ontario.
