Redesign the way information is provided to patients, so that what a patient actually needs to know is communicated in a way that can be understood by all. Design for Patient Dignity - Brief 6b/7
A table mat with ward information printed on it is one way to improve communication between the hospital and the patient, and could be part of a wider information system.
Designers: Helen Hamlyn Centre, Royal College of Art
How it works
Every patient gets a disposable paper-based table mat that is printed with the information that they want most. There is space for hospital staff to personalise the information by writing on the mat, for example adding the name of the ward and nursing staff — or details about the particular day, such as meal times and visiting hours.
The same principle could be used to provide information to patients using other communication methods, including websites, mobile phones or electronic information systems in the hospital.
The issue in context
Patients with planned admissions to hospital are currently sent a booklet which tells them about their hospital, but this gives a great deal of information which many patients may find hard to take in.
The designers’ insights
One of the Clinical Managers the designers spoke to commented that, ‘Privacy is only one component of dignity — the whole interaction with the patient contributes to dignity. When communication breaks down patients start to feel we don’t care about them.’
The team wanted to illustrate that the way the NHS communicates with patients can be made more user-centric. ‘We found that most information is not of immediate interest to the patient, while certain information such as treatment or visiting times, is critical,’ says Maja Kecman, Senior Associate at the Helen Hamlyn Centre.
The design team mapped how people on planned and unplanned admissions (such as Accident and Emergency patients) get different information at different times, and created an information hierarchy so the most relevant facts are presented to the patient first.