The CarePlanManager (CPM) software was functional, but far from optimal: the user experience was lacking, and was built solely for free-text documentation. To streamline communication with doctors and also fullfil Medicare reimbursement requirements, nurses were required to document their calls using one of several note taking templates.
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In both interviews and surveys, nurses expressed frustration while using these templates. They involved switching between different windows and multiple steps just to start a note.
The Clinical Operations team also noticed errors and non adherence to our note taking standards. With around 7,000 free text notes saved on the platform each month, it was impossible to verify if notes included required information unless we manually reviewed all of them.
The lack of visual hierarchy in long, unstructured text notes made it challenging to locate specific information in prior notes.
<aside> 🩺 How could we streamline the nurses’ documentation experience, while allowing them flexibility to handle various patient situations, so they can focus on patient care?
</aside>
Medical software has notoriously poor UX, so I decided to look at consumer notetaking apps for inspiration. I was searching in particular for apps that supported both structured and unstructured data, with features beyond text entry like Apple Notes or Google Docs.