User-centred design of patient information for hospital admissions and patient experience

This paper describes a user-centred approach to information design in an Acute Medical Unit (AMU). It presents a process for inclusion of clinical staff, nurses and patients in the design of information to be used for improving the efficiency of patient admissions to the wards and to increase patient understanding and satisfaction with the service. Human factors expertise was sought to assess the environment, admissions to the AMU and patient clerking by junior doctors. The paper outlines the challenges of designing for multiple users with varying needs and the intricacies of information design and provision when developing a patient leaflet for use in the NHS.