Before & After

Improving Clinical Decision-Making in Lab Results View

Clinicians needed to review lab results quickly and accurately under time pressure. The legacy interface presented all results with similar visual weight, increasing cognitive load and slowing prioritization.

Before
  • High visual density with limited hierarchy made scanning difficult

  • Critical, abnormal, and normal results competed visually

  • Status indicators were present but not immediately actionable

  • Clinicians had to read values carefully to identify urgency

  • Important context (vitals, counts, trends) was visually separated

  • Patient vitals panel took valuable real estate

After
  • Introduced clear prioritization of Critical, Abnormal, and Normal results

  • Used status-based grouping to surface urgent labs immediately

  • Improved visual hierarchy using spacing, contrast, and card structure

  • Added concise status messaging (“requires immediate review”)

  • Reduced cognitive load by making urgency visible at a glance

  • Aligned supporting data (vitals, counts, timestamps) closer to decision context

How the redesign reduced friction:

  • Clinicians can identify critical labs without reading every value

  • Visual scanning replaces mental calculation and comparison

  • Urgent results rise to attention automatically

  • Fewer clicks and less navigation to assess patient status

  • Reduced risk of missing critical information during busy shifts

UX shift: From reading to understand → to seeing to act.

Why this matters:

  • Clinical environments are time-sensitive and interruption-heavy

  • Faster recognition of abnormal results supports safer decisions

  • Reduced cognitive load improves focus during high-pressure workflows

  • Clear prioritization helps clinicians act with confidence

  • Clear status indicators reduce reliance on color alone

  • Improved spacing and hierarchy support readability

  • Consistent card patterns improve learnability across modules

Accessibility considerations