Provide guidance & instill confidence with non-obtrusive feedback loops

Providing guidance and feedback at the right times, with the right information, in the right channels, to the right person, in the right format result in enabling the clinician to practice at the top of their license and support their clinical gestalt (see the frameworks to the right for more).

Reinforce when a clinician is in the norm by streamlining work with intuitive and automatic, and when a clinician is outside of the norm, pre-emptively encourage a move to deeper reasoning and thinking in order to bias towards accurate conclusions and actions. This may include projecting the effect of actions, and confirming the status and outcome, regardless of the result.

For this reason, non-obtrusive is relative depending on the need and context. Informative feedback to support accurate conclusions at a point where the clinician needs input will not be considered obtrusive, but it will be obtrusive if it does not effectively consider the 5 Rights of CDS. To make the task at hand as clear and straight forward as possible, data presented should support and match the human thought process.

Gradual disclosure

Gradual disclosure is a design principle that involves revealing information or functionality progressively to users, rather than overwhelming them with a large amount of information all at once. It allows users to access additional details or guidance as they need it, promoting a smoother and more manageable user experience.

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Practical actions:

Prioritize essential information

Present users with the most crucial and relevant information first. Start with the essential elements necessary for users to complete their tasks or understand the context. By initially providing only the necessary information, you avoid overwhelming users with excessive details.

Reveal information on demand

Offer users the ability to access additional information or details when they express a desire for it. This can be done through interactive elements like expandable sections, tooltips, or “Learn More” links. By making additional information available on demand, users can choose to explore further if they need clarification or deeper insights.

Provide clear cue

Use visual cues or indicators to signify the availability of additional information. These cues can be in the form of icons, buttons, underlined text, or any other visual elements that suggest more information is available. Clear and consistent cues help users recognize when additional details are accessible.

Maintain scannability

Ensure that the initial presentation of information remains scannable and easy to digest. Use concise and meaningful summaries or labels to give users overview without overwhelming them. This way, users can quickly assess whether they need to delve deeper into the information or functionality provided.

Progress complexity

When users express a need for more information or advanced functionality, gradually introduce more complex or detailed elements. This approach allows users to gradually build their understanding and familiarity with the system while avoiding cognitive overload.

User control

Provide users with control over the level of disclosure they desire. Allow them to expand or collapse sections, enable or disable tooltips, or adjust the level of detail presented. This empower users to tailor the experience to their preferences and level of expertise.