Day Case Unit

When visiting the ecg department I also visited the day case unit, where patients are given a chance to recouperate after an operation.  Here they are given information on their operation in the form of handouts and booklets.  It is this method of providing information that concerned the day case unit manager when I asked about any other particular problems (apart from the ecg cables tangling during operations) that might affect patients.

She described that the majority of patients who are worried or concerned about their operation/condition are not going to sit and read through an intimidating number of booklets.  Which can then lead to that patient becoming more stressed because they do not fully understand what is happening or what has happened.

There is a card that patients are given in order to access information.  The idea behind the card which is postcard sized (roughly A5) is that the patient can find out information on their own terms, at their own pace, in the comfort of their own home.  The problem with this card, is it's physical size, it is perhaps too big.  After a small discussion it was determined that a credit card sized variation would make a good alternative.  The only trouble is fitting all the necessary information onto the smaller card, and designing the layout/information so it appears useful, helpful and informative to the patient.

On the card is a helpline in order to call for information if required.  Information is the keyword.  During my interview with and ex-patient she mentioned that a lot of the information she was provided with was through discussion with her doctors, surgeons and nurses.  Her exact words will be written up soon, but it was clear from my discussion with her that communication through good service enabled her to understand what was happening, and through that understanding she gained a strong confidence in her physicians.

This area of research is more suited to information, service and graphic design but it is still interesting to build a complete picture of the overall patient experience.   The main focus at the moment is still upon the issue of tangled ecg cables.

Below are pictures of the information available at the day case unit.

It's quite a lot to take in, and I imagine quite intimidating if the patient is stressed or worried.  On the back of the booklet is a helpline which could be useful if the patient is not already put off.  Below is an example of some of the other information handed to post-op patients in the form of A4 printouts.