Smart Note Mayo Clinic

Smart Note Mayo Clinic

Smart Note Mayo Clinic

UX | CX | Human AI Interaction

2024

Timeline - 5 Months

My Role - Product Design Intern

In a healthcare landscape overwhelmed by data, Smart Note emerges as a revolutionary Clinical Intelligence Platform that reduces EHR review time by 70%, enabling physicians to focus more on patient care while making faster, informed clinical decisions.

Problem Statement

Healthcare Documentation Crisis:
Physicians Spend 5.2 Hours Daily on EHR Tasks

The healthcare industry loses $90 billion annually due to administrative burdens, with 70% of doctors spending more time on documentation than on patient care. In a field where minutes can save lives, this imbalance is not only inefficient, it's critical.

Possible Solution

Smart Note an AI platform tackles healthcare's data overload problem with a simple yet powerful approach.

The platform uses AI to automatically sort through patient records, immediately pulling out the important details doctors need. Instead of spending hours digging through EHRs, doctors can quickly see key patient information, risk factors, and treatment suggestions. What makes it work is how transparent it is, doctors can always see why the AI made certain suggestions, and they stay in control of all decisions. This means less time wrestling with paperwork and more time treating patients.

It's already cutting EHR review time by 70%, giving doctors back the time they need to focus on what matters 'Patient care'.

Possible Solution

Smart Note an AI platform tackles healthcare's data overload problem with a simple yet powerful approach.

The platform uses AI to automatically sort through patient records, immediately pulling out the important details doctors need. Instead of spending hours digging through EHRs, doctors can quickly see key patient information, risk factors, and treatment suggestions. What makes it work is how transparent it is, doctors can always see why the AI made certain suggestions, and they stay in control of all decisions. This means less time wrestling with paperwork and more time treating patients.

It's already cutting EHR review time by 70%, giving doctors back the time they need to focus on what matters 'Patient care'.

Possible Solution

Smart Note an AI platform tackles healthcare's data overload problem with a simple yet powerful approach.

The platform uses AI to automatically sort through patient records, immediately pulling out the important details doctors need. Instead of spending hours digging through EHRs, doctors can quickly see key patient information, risk factors, and treatment suggestions. What makes it work is how transparent it is, doctors can always see why the AI made certain suggestions, and they stay in control of all decisions. This means less time wrestling with paperwork and more time treating patients.

It's already cutting EHR review time by 70%, giving doctors back the time they need to focus on what matters 'Patient care'.

1 - Research

1 - Research

1 - Research

The Documentation Dilemma:
How Medical Data Overload Impacts Patient Care

The Documentation Dilemma:
How Medical Data Overload Impacts Patient Care

The Documentation Dilemma:
How Medical Data Overload Impacts Patient Care

I sat down with eight doctors, a mix of experienced oncologists and residents between 28 and 60 years old, to understand their daily hassles with medical records from the Oncology Department.

I conducted qualitative and quantitative research by shadowing doctors at the clinic during patient consultations and sending surveys to doctors in the department.

Their stories painted a clear picture. They're drowning in typing notes, spending over five hours typing notes for every eight hours they spend with patients. Most admitted to finishing their charts at home after dinner, they call it "pajama time." What struck me was how they all struggled to find important patient information buried in different screens and systems.

One senior oncologist put it perfectly: "I catch myself thinking more about how to document things than what my patient's symptoms mean."

I sat down with eight doctors, a mix of experienced oncologists and residents between 28 and 60 years old, to understand their daily hassles with medical records from the Oncology Department.

I conducted qualitative and quantitative research by shadowing doctors at the clinic during patient consultations and sending surveys to doctors in the department.

Their stories painted a clear picture. They're drowning in typing notes, spending over five hours typing notes for every eight hours they spend with patients. Most admitted to finishing their charts at home after dinner, they call it "pajama time." What struck me was how they all struggled to find important patient information buried in different screens and systems.

One senior oncologist put it perfectly: "I catch myself thinking more about how to document things than what my patient's symptoms mean."

I sat down with eight doctors, a mix of experienced oncologists and residents between 28 and 60 years old, to understand their daily hassles with medical records from the Oncology Department.

I conducted qualitative and quantitative research by shadowing doctors at the clinic during patient consultations and sending surveys to doctors in the department.

Their stories painted a clear picture. They're drowning in typing notes, spending over five hours typing notes for every eight hours they spend with patients. Most admitted to finishing their charts at home after dinner, they call it "pajama time." What struck me was how they all struggled to find important patient information buried in different screens and systems.

One senior oncologist put it perfectly: "I catch myself thinking more about how to document things than what my patient's symptoms mean."

Qualitative Research

During the qualitative research phase, I had the unique opportunity to shadow oncologists and resident doctors during their daily routines. I observed their real-time interactions with patients and EHR systems. This nonintrusive observation revealed the constant juggling act between maintaining patient engagement and managing documentation requirements

Following these shadow sessions, I conducted structured one-on-one interviews with 8 healthcare professionals, using a carefully crafted script to explore their specific challenges.

Below are the findings based on the study conducted

Quantitative Research

After shadowing the doctors, I sent out surveys to better understand how much time they spent navigating medical records. The results were eye-opening. The data revealed that doctors strongly value staying in control when it comes to making decisions about patient care.

These findings aligned with what we observed during our time in the clinic and helped us pinpoint exactly where Smart Note needed to focus.

2 - Synthesis

2 - Synthesis

How might we transform overwhelming medical data into meaningful patient stories?

How might we transform overwhelming medical data into meaningful patient stories?

How might we transform overwhelming medical data into meaningful patient stories?

One key pattern the research surfaced was that this is not solely a problem of data overload but of fighting for the human soul of healthcare. I learned, through shadowing and surveying physicians, that they were spending more time documenting care than actually providing it. What they want is not another digital tool but a trusted partner to free them up for what matters, the patient.


The overwhelming consensus was that there was a need for an intervention that could bridge the gap between comprehensive documentation and meaningful patient interaction.

Smart Note was born from this understanding and was envisioned to transform fragmented pieces of medical data into coherent, actionable patient stories while retaining the essential human touch in healthcare delivery.

Persona

After synthesizing my research through shadowing sessions and interviews, I created three distinct personas that represent the key users of our healthcare system.

Persona

After synthesizing my research through shadowing sessions and interviews, I created three distinct personas that represent the key users of our healthcare system.

Persona

After synthesizing my research through shadowing sessions and interviews, I created three distinct personas that represent the key users of our healthcare system.

The Experienced Guide: Dr. Ava, a 15+-year oncologist at Mayo Clinic, prioritizes patient connection but struggles with information overload. "I want every minute with my patients to matter."

The Clinical Researcher - Dr. Samir, an 8+ year oncologist balancing patient care and research, needs quick visual insights for informed decisions. "I need straightforward access to make the best decision, even in a busy clinic."

The Rising Resident - Dr. Leo, a 3+ year resident physician, requires swift access to patient information between appointments. "I need to zero in on key information fast, so I'm not missing anything critical."

These personas helped shape Smart Note's core features, ensuring our solution addresses diverse needs while maintaining the focus on enhanced patient care.

A Service Blueprint along with a Concept Mapping was also created to understand the pain point of Healthcare workers

Which led me to wonder
How might we transform medical documentation from a burden into an intuitive extension of patient care?

Which led me to wonder
How might we transform medical documentation from a burden into an intuitive extension of patient care?

Which led me to wonder
How might we transform medical documentation from a burden into an intuitive extension of patient care?

3 - Ideation

3 - Ideation

Exploration of Ideas:
How I arrived at Smart Note

The journey to Smart Note began with a simple observation, doctors spending more time looking at screens than at their patients.

Through affinity mapping, concept mapping along with sketches and having continuous communication with the doctors, I explored and learnt various approaches

Initial Concepts
  • Voice-activated documentation assistant
  • AI-powered summary dashboard
  • Visual patient timeline tool

But the breakthrough came when I combined these elements, realizing that doctors needed more than just another tool. They needed a seamless companion that could think alongside them.

The concept of Smart Note emerged. An intelligent system that could understand, organize, and present patient information as naturally as a skilled medical assistant would.

User Flow

User Flow

Intuitive Clinical Documentation:
Designed With Doctors, For Doctors

Through extensive shadowing sessions with healthcare providers, I developed a streamlined documentation flow that mirrors their natural workflow.

The initial design focused on integrating data from EHR and summarizing it using AI and allowing them to edit the feature, allowing doctors to maintain eye contact with patients. At the same time, Smart Note intelligently captures and organizes clinical information in real time.

This approach emerged directly from observing doctors struggle to balance patient interaction with EHR documentation.

4 - Design

4 - Design

Streamlining Clinical Data
Through Smart Visualization and AI

The AI-powered note became the cornerstone feature, serving as a central command center for patient care. It intelligently organizes clinical information from the existing EHR in real-time, similar to how a skilled medical scribe would process information, it happens naturally during the patient encounter.

The initial design focuses on three critical elements identified during physician shadowing


  • A timeline of patient history
  • Real-time AI notes to suggest to doctors the next steps to take
  • AI-powered critical information highlights

The AI-powered note became the cornerstone feature, serving as a central command center for patient care. It intelligently organizes clinical information from the existing EHR in real-time, similar to how a skilled medical scribe would process information, it happens naturally during the patient encounter.

The initial design focuses on three critical elements identified during physician shadowing


  • A timeline of patient history
  • Real-time AI notes to suggest to doctors the next steps to take
  • AI-powered critical information highlights

Branding & Style Guide

I developed a preliminary style guide & design system for Smart Note while interning at the research lab, understanding the lack of established design guidelines. The system was inspired by Mayo Clinic's visual identity and focused on healthcare-specific needs.

It featured clear documentation of components, behaviors, and spacing rules to facilitate developer collaboration.

The design emphasized clinical usability with a professional aesthetic, Mayo Clinic's signature blue color palette, and typography optimized for medical data legibility.

Design System

Design System

Inspired by Clinical Workflows
A Clean, Intuitive, and Efficient Documentation Experience

Designing the high-fidelity screens revealed how crucial it was to make the documentation process seamless. Given the project's time-sensitive nature and my collaboration with the research lab at Mayo Clinic, I moved directly to detailed designs, which also helped me communicate better with the doctors

With multiple elements like patient timelines, lab tests, and treatment plans competing for attention, there were too many opportunities for cognitive overload.

I focused on creating an intuitive interface that mimics natural clinical workflow, where critical information surfaces automatically based on context.

I designed 6 high-fidelity screens and dynamic components, focusing on the core patient documentation details and flow.

Each screen was carefully crafted in Figma.

  • Login Screen: Professional aesthetic, clear input fields, "Remember Password" option.

  • Dashboard: Calendar view with color-coded patient categories.

  • Appointments: Organized list with patient details and time slots for easy access.

  • Login Screen: Professional aesthetic, clear input fields, "Remember Password" option.

  • Dashboard: Calendar view with color-coded patient categories.

  • Appointments: Organized list with patient details and time slots for easy access.

  • Login Screen: Professional aesthetic, clear input fields, "Remember Password" option.

  • Dashboard: Calendar view with color-coded patient categories.

  • Appointments: Organized list with patient details and time slots for easy access.

Comprehensive Patient Management System with three main sections.


  • Interactive anatomical diagram with clickable points for various health concerns to help understand patients.

  • Search functionality, patient identification, and multiple view options (Anatomy View, All Testing, Source Documents).

  • A timeline view of oncology history, consultation department selection, and social determinants of the patient.

  • Care Plan with clear recommendations and assessments.

  • Key Medical Data is displayed with easy-to-read visualizations.

  • Clean, Uncluttered Layout that prioritizes important clinical information.

User Testing

User Testing

Physicians responded positively,
However, there were clear opportunities to enhance the interface.

The initial testing with 5 doctors revealed a strong appreciation for Smart Note's clean design and AI-powered features. However, specific improvements emerged as crucial for optimizing clinical workflows.


  • Navigation: Preferred a vertical layout over a horizontal one.
  • Visual Clarity: Improved grouping and prioritization are needed for better readability.
  • Timeline View: Clinicians requested a full patient history timeline, but space constraints made implementation challenging.

The initial testing with 5 doctors revealed a strong appreciation for Smart Note's clean design and AI-powered features. However, specific improvements emerged as crucial for optimizing clinical workflows.


  • Navigation: Preferred a vertical layout over a horizontal one.
  • Visual Clarity: Improved grouping and prioritization are needed for better readability.
  • Timeline View: Clinicians requested a full patient history timeline, but space constraints made implementation challenging.

5 - Final design

5 - Final design

Dashboard revision
Dashboard revision
Dashboard revision
Enhanced Dashboard Screen and Accessibility standards


  • Added a feature to provide healthcare workers with workplace stats, including total patients, a patient summary graph, and the day's schedule.

  • Displays the latest communication among the doctors on a particular case or research group prominently.

  • A detailed patient summary card that has the number of visits, the last visit date, the doctor who attended to the patient last, and a few important details.

  • Appointments are color-coded by patient type following WCAG AA compliance.

  • A dedicated section for healthcare workers to receive updated content, keeping them informed about the latest medical news and advancements.

Enhanced Dashboard Screen and Accessibility standards


  • Added a feature to provide healthcare workers with workplace stats, including total patients, a patient summary graph, and the day's schedule.

  • Displays the latest communication among the doctors on a particular case or research group prominently.

  • A detailed patient summary card that has the number of visits, the last visit date, the doctor who attended to the patient last, and a few important details.

  • Appointments are color-coded by patient type following WCAG AA compliance.

  • A dedicated section for healthcare workers to receive updated content, keeping them informed about the latest medical news and advancements.

Revisions from the initial design
Revisions from the initial design
Revisions from the initial design
Revisions from the initial design
Easily accessible and well-organized sections (Law of Similarity)


  • Restructured the flow and designed a hamburger menu with clear headers for better navigation across sections.

  • The Doctors preferred a vertical layout component over a horizontal one.

  • Provided a timeline view to understand the patient's vitals for the healthcare workers to study the patient.

  • Improved grouping and prioritization which were required for better readability.

Easily accessible and well-organized sections (Law of Similarity)


  • Restructured the flow and designed a hamburger menu with clear headers for better navigation across sections.

  • The Doctors preferred a vertical layout component over a horizontal one.

  • Provided a timeline view to understand the patient's vitals for the healthcare workers to study the patient.

  • Improved grouping and prioritization which were required for better readability.

Revisions from the initial design
Revisions from the initial design
Easily accessible and well-organized sections (Law of Similarity)


  • One single section for the treatment-related details including a button to view the timeline history of the patient.

  • Anatomy view is provided for doctors to communicate well with the patients.

  • All Testing: AI-powered summaries of test reports for quick decision-making.

  • Source Documents: Provides access to test and patient-related reports.

Easily accessible and well-organized sections (Law of Similarity)


  • One single section for the treatment-related details including a button to view the timeline history of the patient.

  • Anatomy view is provided for doctors to communicate well with the patients.

  • All Testing: AI-powered summaries of test reports for quick decision-making.

  • Source Documents: Provides access to test and patient-related reports.

Oncology History Timeline: A Clear Patient Journey


Scrollable & Intuitive: Easily navigable timeline from diagnosis onward.

Detailed Milestones: Key events (biopsies, CT scans, treatments) marked for clarity.

Oncology History Timeline: A Clear Patient Journey


Scrollable & Intuitive: Easily navigable timeline from diagnosis onward.

Detailed Milestones: Key events (biopsies, CT scans, treatments) marked for clarity.

Oncology History Timeline: A Clear Patient Journey


Scrollable & Intuitive: Easily navigable timeline from diagnosis onward.

Detailed Milestones: Key events (biopsies, CT scans, treatments) marked for clarity.

Revisions from the initial design
Revisions from the initial design
Revisions from the initial design
Revisions from the initial design
Revisions from the initial design
Revisions from the initial design
AI-Assisted Care Planning with Doctor’s Personalization


  • AI-Integrated Care Plan: Combines AI-generated recommendations with the doctor's personalized assessment.

  • Editable Care Plan: Allows doctors to modify AI suggestions for patient-specific customization.

AI-Assisted Care Planning with Doctor’s Personalization


  • AI-Integrated Care Plan: Combines AI-generated recommendations with the doctor's personalized assessment.

  • Editable Care Plan: Allows doctors to modify AI suggestions for patient-specific customization.

Accessibility Standards

Our design features an accessible color palette that supports users with color vision deficiencies. This ensures clear visibility for everyone, including approximately 8% of males and 0.5% of females affected by color blindness.

I have designed an inclusive design system that meets WCAG AA accessibility standards. Through strategic use of both colors and icons, the system ensures seamless navigation regardless of users' visual capabilities

Users can personalize their experience through an intuitive settings interface, which includes toggle switches for enabling or disabling different features based on their individual needs.

Accessibility Standards

Our design features an accessible color palette that supports users with color vision deficiencies. This ensures clear visibility for everyone, including approximately 8% of males and 0.5% of females affected by color blindness.

I have designed an inclusive design system that meets WCAG AA accessibility standards. Through strategic use of both colors and icons, the system ensures seamless navigation regardless of users' visual capabilities

Users can personalize their experience through an intuitive settings interface, which includes toggle switches for enabling or disabling different features based on their individual needs.

Prototype

Prototype

Mockups

Mockups

Results

Future Innovation & Growth Opportunities

Results

From Design to Healthcare
A Journey in Clinical CX Innovation

The development of Smart Note has been a transformative journey in reimagining healthcare documentation. Observing physicians interact with the prototype reinforced how thoughtful design can bridge the gap between clinical efficiency and patient-centered care. The project's most rewarding aspect was seeing how AI assistance could empower doctors rather than replace them.

This project has fundamentally changed how I view healthcare technology. I now view it not as a replacement for human expertise but as an essential partner in delivering compassionate, efficient care. The potential to scale these solutions while maintaining ethical standards presents an exciting challenge for the future of medical informatics.

Working on Smart Note presented a unique challenge as a designer without a medical background. The project demanded rapid adaptation to complex medical terminologies and workflows, pushing me beyond my comfort zone into the intricate world of healthcare documentation.

This experience taught me that effective design in healthcare requires more than technical skills, it demands empathy, continuous learning, and the ability to bridge the gap between technical capabilities and clinical needs. The project improved my design capabilities and gave me valuable insights into healthcare technology's role in improving patient care.

Special thanks to Riaz, Irbaz B., M.B.B.S., M.S., and Team, Owen Witte. H (Mayo Clinic), and Professor Shah Noor Shafqat (Arizona State University) for sharing their knowledge and constant support throughout the semester.

The development of Smart Note has been a transformative journey in reimagining healthcare documentation. Observing physicians interact with the prototype reinforced how thoughtful design can bridge the gap between clinical efficiency and patient-centered care. The project's most rewarding aspect was seeing how AI assistance could empower doctors rather than replace them.

This project has fundamentally changed how I view healthcare technology. I now view it not as a replacement for human expertise but as an essential partner in delivering compassionate, efficient care. The potential to scale these solutions while maintaining ethical standards presents an exciting challenge for the future of medical informatics.

Working on Smart Note presented a unique challenge as a designer without a medical background. The project demanded rapid adaptation to complex medical terminologies and workflows, pushing me beyond my comfort zone into the intricate world of healthcare documentation.

This experience taught me that effective design in healthcare requires more than technical skills, it demands empathy, continuous learning, and the ability to bridge the gap between technical capabilities and clinical needs. The project improved my design capabilities and gave me valuable insights into healthcare technology's role in improving patient care.

Special thanks to Riaz, Irbaz B., M.B.B.S., M.S., and Team, Owen Witte. H (Mayo Clinic), and Professor Shah Noor Shafqat (Arizona State University) for sharing their knowledge and constant support throughout the semester.

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