Complement & supplement EHR functionality, don’t replace it

Adhere to and uphold federal requirements regarding information management and the EHR’s role as THE system of record for patient clinical records.

The Clinical Design Team works to extend EHR capabilities via higher level functionality that does not exist in EHRs to enable clinicians.

With two EHRs in use at the VHA, each with varying capabilities, there will be some instances where there is clear delineation of what IS and what is NOT EHR functionality, and there will be some instances where the distinction is not clear. Some questions to ask might be: “Does some form of this functionality exist in the EHR?” If so, ask, “how might we build on the capability of the EHR and augment it with valuable new functionality?” If the functionality does not exist in the EHR, it will likely require a product decision explored with your Product Owner and clinical representative whether pursuing that functionality in the EHR or in the product is the priority.

Ease cognitive burden

Ease of cognitive burden is an important design principle that focuses on making a product or interface easy to understand and use without requiring a lot of mental effort from the user. The goal is to minimize the cognitive load that users experience when interacting with a design.

Practical actions:

Simplicity

Keeping the design as simple as possible by minimizing the number of elements, features, and interactions that are required to accomplish a task.

Consistency

Maintaining a consistent design language and user interface across all pages, screens, and interactions, which helps users learn how to use the product more quickly and easily.

Clarity

Using clear, concise language and visual cues to communicate information to users, rather than relying on complex or ambiguous terminology.

Familiarity

Utilizing design patterns and interactions that users are already familiar with, such as using standard icons or menu structures.

Reducing choices

Limiting the number of options and decisions that users must make, which reduces the cognitive load and increases the likelihood that they will make the right choice. By implementing these techniques, designers can create products and interfaces that are intuitive, easy to use, and require minimal mental effort from users, resulting in a more enjoyable and effective user experience.