Notes from the front lines: lessons learnt from designing for improving medical imaging data sharing

Abstract

This paper presents results from participatory design studies conducted in a children's hospital. We conducted extensive user studies to understand the specific needs and design constrains in a foetal-heart imaging unit. We describe the lessons learnt in the design process, focusing on the peculiarities of the setting and providing insights to help with the design of future systems in similar environments. We conducted panel discussions, semi-structured interviews, shadowing and constructed two system prototypes to learn about user interactions. We provide a description of the environment, a summary of the important stakeholders and an assessment of the current infrastructure. We noted a significant discrepancy between our case hospital and reported hospital practice. Our main contributions are: (1) a thorough understanding of a unique clinical environment gained through an extensive user study; (2) a detailed account of a participatory design process conducted in the setting and (3) a set of seven design considerations (lessons learnt) for future inquiries.