Reimaging medical reports – Smarter Diagnostics case study

Data provided by the World Health Organization indicates that physical activity is a major contributor to overall well-being and health. For adults, physical activity is one of the top ways to prevent cardiovascular diseases, cancer, and diabetes. Also, engaging in sport contributes to reduced risk of depression and anxiety. 

Yet according to the report, 31% of adults and 80% of adolescents don’t meet the desired levels of physical activity. Yet “being active” is not to be taken lightly. People who engage in physical activity, including amateur and semi-professional athletes, face the risk of injury – which needs to be taken into account. 

According to the Journal of Clinical Medicine, up to 39.78% of professional and amateur football players face muscle or tendon injuries, with joint and ligament injuries (21.13%) and contusions (17.86%) following. These types of injuries require a careful approach, with athletes requiring dedicated rehabilitation programs.

This makes room for companies that are willing to focus on the health of individuals who pursue a more active lifestyle. 

Smarter Diagnostics gives their clients and customers precisely what the name states – a smarter diagnostic process. The company focuses on scanning and analyzing one’s body using imaging diagnostic tools and AI algorithms to deeply analyze and understand one’s overall health situation. This is especially relevant when it comes to professional and semi-professional athletes. 

The company aims to gather data and provide it to its users who aim to reduce or avoid injuries. The offer may also be attractive for employers (especially sports-related) to reduce risks and improve profitability.  

With the sophistication and precision of diagnostics instruments, the company not only helps to cure existing injuries but also may spot signs of developing injuries. The system may, for example, detect signals of overpressure on joints or muscles, which could lead to future injuries.

That’s why Smarter Diagnostics aims to support not only convalescent athletes but also ones who are completely healthy – in order to keep them that way. 

But having data in hand is just the first step. The next is putting this data to use. And this may be surprisingly challenging. The reports delivered by the company were extremely detailed and comprehensive. Yet the amount of information provided was confusing and hard to process without deep thought.

Initially, the reports delivered by the company were data-rich, yet complicated and difficult to read.

Improving these reports was an area where the Tooploox team could provide support.  

Research and client workshops

This phase took two weeks to complete and included the deep analysis of data and information collected and shared by the client as well as gathering knowledge. The client also shared data about the platform and report usage so our team could analyze patterns. 

Our team used the product discovery and service design to truly understand the role and the process behind report creation and usage. The team members established meaningful cooperation with physicians, specialists, and end users. The work included: 

Designing multiple versions of the report

Our goal was to find a solution that would be sufficient and suitable for diagnosis and diagnostics outcomes, so the users need not switch the type of the final report themselves. Also, the report needed to show basic recommendations, and this also needed to be reflected in the structure of the generated document. This phase took three weeks. 

Testing prototypes with target groups

The team generated several versions of the report to be tested with control groups consisting of potential users. The testing sessions enabled the team to collect feedback from users and use their thoughts and remarks in designing the new final version of the report. This phase took two weeks. It was also an opportunity to come up with final redesign goals.

Implementing changes

Last but not least, the team implemented changes in the report to meet the needs and requirements of all target groups. This last part was the most challenging work and took one and a half weeks.

Within the timeframe of eight and a half weeks, the Tooploox team managed to tackle and solve the pain points witnessed by the company. These were as follows:

Adding a summary

To make the experience easier and reading the report smoother, the team decided to add executive summaries to the report, highlighting areas to improve and hints on how to do so. According to interviews and tests run with users, 75% were satisfied with the executive summary and recommendations provided. Also, many users highlighted that adding a summary made them feel more secure about their health.

New, clear design

The team delivered a new, minimalistic and clear design that aimed to highlight the expertise of the team behind the diagnostics. All of the users in the testing groups said that the new look is more intuitive and informative. Physicians using the report reported saving up to 50% of the time previously spent on understanding the provided information. 

Improved diagrams and data display

The team worked on a standardized set of visualizations that are legible and easy to interpret for physicians and patients alike. All users in the testing groups noticed the ease of use and transparency of the information provided. Also, users found it easier to notice the most important information provided.

These tests also show that both physicians and non-trained users see the reports as more legible and easy to use.