Bhasker Sharma

Bachelor Thesis Project

Duration: July'13 - April'14

Guide: Prof. (Dr.) Deb Kumar Chakrabarti, Head, Department of Design, IIT Guwahati

Keywords: Information System, System Design, Health Education, Design for Need, Human Computer Interface

 

Abstract

Information exchange between Hospital and patient/attendant is still a concern in Health and Care sector. In order to bridge this gap, number of interventions have been designed to facilitate patients and attendants in waiting area of hospitals. Currently, in the second phase of this intervention, I have come up with products which can be used by patients, their attendant and hospital authority to learn, exchange and process medical data. Thus far, findings in analyzing the issues in doctor-patient interaction in Outpatient Department (OPD) and doctor-attendant relationship in Inpatient Department (IPD) of Hospitals have indicated that ease of information exchange is required.

 

Problem Area

Information exchange between Hospital and patient/attendant is still a concern in Health and Care sector. Patients and attendants face confusion in hospital system as they are stressful due to worry and tense circumstances. Project looks into waiting facilities offered in two board departments of hospitals.

1. OPD – Out Patient Department

2. IPD – In Patient Department

 

Aim and Objective

It aims at looking into design intervention for creating worry-free ambience in hospital for patients and their attendants. This is to make a system which can enhance the doctor-patient/attendant relationship in a hospital and make their time productive while waiting.

OBJECTIVE where design is intervening:

01 SPACE - Space design for patients (OPD) and attendants (IPD) waiting area. 

02 MULTIMEDIA - Evolution of Multimedia Devices for ease of Information exchange.

03 CONNECTIVITY - Inter-connectivity administrative system satisfying above two issues. 

 

Design Methodolgy followed for smooth running of this project is as follows:

• Discover

• Define

• Design

• Deliver

 

Discover

Three Visits were made for observing and identifying the current scenario of hospital waiting area.

Visit 1 – Sri Ganga Ram Hospital, New Delhi – Private Hospital

Visit 2 – IIT Guwahati Hospital

Visit 3 – Mahendra Mohan Choudhury (MMC) Hospital – Public Hospital

 

Define

To learn more about hospital systems and get the resources, Directorate of Health Services located in Hengrabari, Guwahati, was visited.

 

Conclusion was made that there is a need of a system where space, multimedia and connectivity merges together to create an experience which can aid people who are anxious, nervous and distressed. Following points outline this system:

• Spacious and hygienic infrastructure.

• Well maintained and organized medical records.

• Easy Communication

• Transparency in treatments or investigations.

• Sense of security, safety and confidentiality.

• In short, patient is at right place and in good hands.

 

Design

Following products were designed to step towards achieving the goals:

• Automated Teller Machine

  • Users: Out Patients

  • Benefits: Appointment with doctor without standing in queue | Easy learning of health tips, govt. schemes, medical Insurance, etc | Less confusion

• Digital Calling Board

  • Users: Out Patients

  • Benefits: Organized calling of patients | Reduced congestion outside Doctors’ room | Less confusion

• Tablet

  • Users: Doctors, Nurses

  • Benefits: Easy overview of patients’ medical record | References for treating patients | Monitoring of patients by indicating their state of criticality

• Mutifunctional Display Device

  • Users: In Patients, Attendants

  • Benefits: Overview of patients’ medical record | Minimized comm. gap b/w patient, attendant, doctor and nurse | Transparency in treating patients | Easy learning of health tips, govt. schemes, medical Insurance, etc.

 

Use Cases

 

• Registration Process

  1. Main Menu

  2. Register Yourself

  3. Enter Mobile Number

  4. Verification Code Received

  5. Enter Verification Code

  6. Done

 

• Out Patient Department (OPD)

  1. Register

  2. Appointment

  3. Wait

  4. Number Called

  5. Overview Patient’s Medical Record

  6. Meeting

  7. Pharmacy

 

Future Work

• Exploration of various other use cases.

• Designing of remaining visuals.

• Product Development

  • ATM Prototype

  • Tablet Application

• Development will be done with dummy content on Android OS Platform.

• Usability Testing with users (Patients, Attendants or Doctors)

• Refinements will be done based on usability analysis.

• Design and development of variants