PIVOT

Design solution for medical emergency

Designs that improve the communication system during a medical emergency. How can patient information handoff become more standardized to improve medical emergency situations?

Solution 3

Standardized handoff process

Medical staffs hand off patients information in a more standardized, intuitive method through PIVOT app.

View user groups/flows

Solution 2

Access patient information quickly and easily

Medical staffs scan patients pivot using PIVOT App to access their information

View final Prototype of PIVOT App

Project Overview

Solution 1

Versatile wearable medical chip

Patients wear PIVOT in any form they prefer, necklace, bracelet, etc, and input medical information.

View renderings of PIVOT Wearable

RESEARCH

The Problem

When considering a medical emergency, two main issues arise: emotional challenges and procedural difficulties. Patients and their guardians feel anxious and stressed due to the procedural challenges faced in the emergency department.

23%

of medical errors in hospitals are due to communication failures during patient handoff

63%

of nurses report at least one incident of communication failure during patient handoff

59%

of internal medicine and general surgery physicians had witnessed harm to one or more patients due to poor patient handover

stroke patient identified

On the way to the nearest Emergency room

EMT verbally hands off patient’s information to the nurse

Nurse verbally hands off patient’s information to the doctor

Doctors communicate verbally to diagnose and treat patient

Nurses asks patient the same question repeatedly

How do patients and their guardians feel?

I interviewed 5 people who have experience with their loved ones being at an emergency room or have experience being at an emergency room themselves

Frustrated

Stressed

Anxious

21 years old, College student

"When I visited the ER, the nurses and staffs asked me the same question over and over again, which I felt like made the process delayed"

50 years old, has an elderly parent

“After my dad visited the emergency room once, I am always afraid that he will run into another medical emergency when he’s alone”

22 years old, College student

“I’m mostly concerned that the treatment will be delayed due to the lack of medical information about my grandpa”

RESEARCH

What is being done?

Tools and products that are currently being used

Medical bracelet, color coded hospital bracelets, emergency call devices, and the I-Pass tool are the 4 products and systems that are being used to improve procedural and emotional challenges in an emergency situation. What are the pros and cons of each product?

1

Research reviews of each product

2

Categorizing data points into user groups

3

Product/procedure and what it solves

DEFINE

What should be done?

1

Communicate directly with the ED provider responsible for the patient's care

2

Increase interdisciplinary feedback, transparency between EMS staffs and hospital staffs 

3

Standardize aspects of the handoff 

4

Harness technology to close gaps in information exchange

(Meisel et al., 2015)

Parallel to “Pivoted”

Currently, during a patient handoff, patient information travels in a horizontal, parallel manner which increases chances of miscommunication, process delay, misinformation and repetitiveness. For a better handoff for both patients/guardians and medical staffs, patients’ information should be pivoted.

Current handoff

Standardized handoff

DEFINE

Problem to goal to features

PROBLEM

Guardians feel stressed and anxious about their patients

GOAL

Allow more freedom for patients without concerns for medical emergencies

FEATURE

Portable, accessible medical document that can easily be viewed by first responders

PROBLEM

Frustrations due to inefficient emergency treatment process

GOAL

Minimize possibilities for misinformation and miscommunication

FEATURE

Transparent handoff process across all medical staffs through a standardized app

PROBLEM

Communication failure during patient handoff

GOAL

Increased efficiency in medical emergency situations

FEATURE

Intuitive communication system across all medical staffs regarding patient information

DESIGN

Ideation

User groups + User flow

There exist three distinct user groups and stakeholders for PIVOT. What actions does each group employ to enhance their sense of security and optimize patient handoff using PIVOT?

Patients and guardians

Hospital Staffs

First responders (EMT)

DELIVER

PIVOT Products

PIVOT Wearables

Pivot block

Wristband

Keychain

PIVOT App

Staff version

Pivot app

Guardian/Patient version

Pivot app

PIVOT Block

Dual access to patient information: NFC chip or QR code

Different colors of lights indicate basic medical alerts: Allergies, DNR, latex allergy, fall risk

Keychain

Wristband

DELIVER

PIVOT App

Prototype Video

Scan PIVOT Wearable

Medical staffs access patients medical information by scanning their PIVOT wearable. This reduces repetitiveness and redundancy in medical emergency situations.

Access patient's medical information

View patient's medical conditions, medications, allergies, emergency contacts, and notes. Effective for when patient's unconscious or isn't able to communicate

Standardized handoff through app

View what other staffs have said about patient's status, treatment and actions. This can be in text form or voice recorded form.