Modernisation of Diagnostic Imaging

The Project

Facilitate the electronic transfer of diagnostic imaging requests and results to support consumer awareness and choice to drive better healthcare outcomes. A national path-to-digital to improve the diagnostic imaging process, language and approach to assist solving for gaps and challenges experienced today, and create a step change in experienced benefits – the opportunity for improved efficiency, quality, safety and empowerment of consumers in their healthcare.

The phases I led were to:

  • Research to create a clear blueprint representing the current state
  • Define a future state through a paper proof of concept, co-designed and tested with a range of stakeholders
  • Blueprint the process to identify requirements and support system architectures.
  • Propose next steps, including any structural needs, for a practical and technical proof of concept

The process

The Diagnostic Imaging industry is very mature, has a significant peak body and expressed their needs in papers, studies, presentations and submissions. Desktop research and interviews with key players alongside site visits and interviews at Diagnostic Imaging clinics. Research included any exploration of individual bespoke systems the imaging organisations have deployed or in planning.

Research and discovery

Through a co-design and evidence led approach design what a future diagnostic imaging electronic ordering and referral solution and experience could look like.

I formulated a clear, current state blueprint, including, in-progress activities that would support a future-state foundation of an end-to-end digital experience. I defined several problem and I created a collection of design principles for the new service. Through research, design, validation and outputs, I carried the project to a viable proof of concept ready to receive funding.

Design principles that inform the Diagnostic Imaging solution. very text heavy

Define and design

I identified the impact of a digital solution on customers and what government could do to support industry to delivering this solution

I co-designed a Proof of Concept (PoC) with clinicians, consumers and industry stakeholders. All designs included an understanding of requirements and consumer values and benefits. The concept was supported with several scenarios, using simple personas to demonstrate how the concept benefits consumers with assorted health needs from diagnostic imaging.

Test and validate

I proposed and validated a digital journey and experience map to test with front line clinical workers, requesting clinicians, imaging providers and consumers.

The testing uncovered many findings groups into several themes that were all taken back into the proposed proof of concept. The concept had different detail fidelities to communicate the structure and benefit.

Goals and outcomes

The goal was a proof of concept that would fund a practical prototype for further testing and validation in later stages. Three main groups of stakeholders were to be addressed: Practitioners requesting imaging for their patients, the patients as Consumers of an imaging service, the imaging Providers, offering their services to consumers and their practitioners.

Defining the design principles, I set the foundations of any designs going forward. From collaboration with Architects, I set a framework the underlying technology needed to satisfy, and clarified a minimal data set to include and why they are of value to all. I created several versions of the proof of concept to communicate the structure to different stakeholders according to their business, strategic or delivery needs.

from the tested Proof of concept and the inputs. from all stakeholders, the project received funding and approval from the ministry to build a practical proof of concept to validate the findings and test the hypotheses stipulated.