Context

Shifting from in-person to a self-guided onboarding training experience 

In 2022, we successfully rolled out a beta release of AutoDVT to conduct clinical trials to collect data for FDA clearance. However, the initial release lacked training features so users could learn to scan independently. As a result, the CTO traveled to each deployment site to train new users, but this approach couldn't be sustained in the long term once rolled out to the public with potentially hundreds of new users each month. 
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I was tasked to investigate the feasibility of implementing an interactive manual as part of the onboarding flow to replace the need for in-person training.

impact

We have successfully designed and developed the project, and validated the interactive manual as a viable solution to train new users independently.

5/6

nurses completed their third practice exam successfully

Wearing different hats

Small startups require generalists who are comfortable with many tasks. At big companies, you focus on one thing, but at a five-person startup, resourcefulness is key. Knowing a little bit about everything and how to find answers is helpful. Some of my responsibilities for this project were interaction design, visual design, usability testing, and video production.

The solution

A self-guided learning experience in the onboarding flow

During the project, I collaborated closely with the engineering team and shared a vision of creating an interactive onboarding experience to guide new users through practice scanning by breaking down the exam into small chunks of information. 
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We hypothesized that a guided walkthrough with context-sensitive tooltips and window overlays with rich content could be an effective training modality. However, there were still a few unresolved questions.

Outlining the training steps before wireframing

The first challenge I encountered was documenting the training steps to scan a patient using AutoDVT successfully. The CTO, who had extensive knowledge of the exam protocol and trained new users, assisted me in outlining the steps, and we worked closely throughout the project. Because there were many steps to take into account and to make things more manageable, I decided to work in small increments by focusing on a single scan and see how it evolved before moving on to the other three.

Knee Point 1

Popliteal Vein (POPV)

Choosing between video, 3D and VR

Initially, 3D and VR seemed ideal for training new users because they offer interactive features like zooming in and rotating a 3D environment, which creates a more immersive experience with details from various angles. However, after an initial exploration of VR and 3D, we realized they come with a high upfront cost, and we needed more in-house resources to develop a VR or 3D experience. So, we shifted to video to prove the concept with minimal investment of time and effort and, more importantly, to stay agile by making quick updates as the learnings came.

To ensure a seamless integration of the interactive manual into the onboarding user flow, I created a wireflow that mapped out the screens and interactions required for users to complete the scans. With many steps in each scan, the wireflow provided a comprehensive view of the pathway users would take to reach their final destination. This deliverable was used regularly during design reviews and design iterations.

One challenge I encountered was finding target audience participants with domain knowledge to test with. Due to budget constraints, recruiting high-paying nurses or doctors was impossible. To address this issue, we divided the research into two stages. The first stage involved recruiting participants from outside the target audience who were easier to find. We used this stage to identify navigation and major usability issues. We also investigated if the interactive manual provided all the necessary steps and content to scan successfully. In the second stage, we tested the product with our target audience to determine if medical professionals could complete a third-time exam successfully, which was the main success metric for the project.

We conducted a total of 16 usability sessions:
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‍10 sessions with participants outside our target audience.
6 sessions with medical professionals.

Design REFINEMENTS

Overall, medical professionals performed better than non-medical participants in testing due to their experience working with patients and being comfortable with close physical interaction. Most non-medical participants appeared hesitant when moving a patient's underwear to scan the groin. Although this was not an issue for most medical professionals, we still introduced a looped video that highlights the importance of clearing the groin area to ensure proper scanner placement.

We observed that participants were skimming through the instructions and not carefully reading them, which hindered their ability to scan the patient. To tackle this issue, we simplified the written instructions and introduced checkboxes. This design change improved the number of tests completed on the third try by making instructions easier to follow and ensuring each step was completed before moving on to the next.

Before

After

AutoDVT uses anatomical terms of location, such as lateral and medial, instead of left and right. We tested both terms, but we learned that medical professionals preferred anatomical directional terms because they reduce ambiguity, help visualize positional and spatial locations of structures, and navigate directionally from one area to another.

Conventional terms

Anatomical directional terms

We found videos highly effective in training users, so we expanded their use beyond the interactive manual to the scanning flow for users who needed to reference them while scanning. However, a constant design challenge we faced with AutoDVT was making features easy to spot for new users but not intrusive for experienced users already familiar with the app. We redesigned the scanning flow to make videos available before and while scanning.

Interactive manual demo

The video below is a 3-minute partial walkthrough of the interactive flow. It demos the beginning of the interactive manual experience.