Clinical guidelines to inform patient-specific surgical decisions based on blood treatment are traditionally presented as multiple page documents.
This can be problematic in emergency procedures, where information for safe and appropriate drug usage should be easily accessible and presented in a structured format.
An opportunity was identified at Auckland City Hospital by senior anesthetists to explore how clinical haematology-related guidelines can be improved through an information, design-led approach to improve poor guideline retention among their clinicians.
The DHW Lab worked in collaboration with anaesthetists, haematologists, pharmacists and researchers from Auckland DHB to develop a smartphone app that provides clinicians with quick and simple access to the real-time ‘Idarucizumab Guideline’ to reverse patients taking the blood thinning drug ‘Dabigatran’. Enabling safe use of the drug was the main reason for the guideline, but it was also important to guide appropriate use, since the cost of one unit (at the time) was equivalent to NZD $5,000.
The App — ‘Ida’ (Idarucizumab)—helps clinicians to:
• Identify patients with an urgent need to reverse Dabigatran
• Provide safe advice to rapidly reverse the drug if bleeding occurs
• Develop an appropriate treatment protocol around elective surgery
• Immediately reverse ‘dabigatran’ prior to emergency surgery
In medical emergencies, ‘Ida’ makes clinical decision-making to reverse patients’ Dabigatran effects faster and easier. As a mobile app, healthcare professionals can retrieve adaptable medical information on the go. The guideline app individualises care by making clinical information more accessible, efficient and automated, while enabling accurate decision-making.
