Designing for Care with People who Care

We ultimately need systems that make the right care simpler for both patients and professionals, not more complicated. And they must do so in ways that strengthen our human connections, instead of weakening them.

~Atul Gawande, “The Upgrade.” The New Yorker, November 5, 2018

I fell in love with healthcare more than 15 years ago as a young intern designing an intranet for Eli Lily. But I also fell in love with an idea – the idea of using something impersonal (technology) to create something personal (human and team connection). I still believe in that possibility and have, more than once, worked on projects successful in this respect. Building technologies that facilitate human connection and change the way healthcare is traditionally delivered – that, if anything, has been the common thread in my career.

After 15 years, I still thrive on solving the wicked problems in healthcare. I still relish the challenges this industry presents. Indeed, the challenges are what keep me showing up each day.

Hey there, Chris here

I have more than 15 years’ experience in healthcare design and have worked in a number of different settings from rural and local hospitals to academic institutions, startups and corporations. My experience includes extensive work with EMRs (Electronic Medical Records) and EHRs (Electronic Health Records), medical devices and telehealth in the services areas including home health, audiology, pharmacy, nephrology and OR/surgery.

I have a Master of Science in health informatics where I specialized in HCI, social informatics and the study of human error as it relates to technology. I also hold a master’s in library science where I focused primarily on information science, information architecture and information design.

Experience

Healthcare

Design

My experience in healthcare has allowed me to work with a number of major brands and given me the opportunity to develop knowledge and expertise in multiple areas of the industry.

EMR / EHR Design

My work with the EMR can be traced all the way back to my position at Regenstrief where I worked with the VA’s Vista system and Regenstrief’s Medical Gopher - one of the first computerized physician order entry (CPOE) systems. Since that time, I have completed projects on 4 different EMR / EHR systems.

Medical Devices

My experience with medical devices includes nearly 4 years’ work with GN ReSound, a leading hearing aid company , and an 8-month project with Baxter Health working on remote patient monitoring systems for peritoneal dialysis in the care of chronic kidney disease (CKD).

Telehealth

I have held 3 positions where telehealth was a significant component of my work. At GN ReSound, my team and I were integral in the success of the first MFi (Made For iPhone) hearing aid brought to market and I later supporting the remote fitting feature. I also designed for and supported remote patient care and monitoring projects for both Baxter and Dina.

Other Healthcare Experience

Includes work in clinical decision support (CDS) systems, coordinated care, continuing medical education (CME), social determinants of health (SDoH), OASIS data, MDS-HC data, error prevention and risk mitigation, prior authorization, the home health environment and OR / Surgery.

Working across a myriad of projects I have managed to pick up more than a few skills in user experience design over the past decade.

UX, UI & Research

Most positions I have held required wearing multiple hats. I have advanced skills in UI development and it has become a focal point in my work. My work in academics laid the foundation for my experience in research to include conducting interviews and qualitative data analysis as well as usability testing. But having the ability to step back and see the big picture, understanding how the research fits the UI and creates the user experience, is part of what makes me an invaluable asset to health organizations.

Information Architecture

This is where I started and it continues to play a large part in most projects I lead. My master’s in library science allows me to quickly structure sites, work with controlled vocabularies and exploit databases for better search functionality. This includes an in-depth understanding of health terminology and the hierarchical relationships between them.

Design Systems

I have been creating design systems since 2019 and recently worked on my third for Caresyntax. I have used Figma to create them all and have extensive prior experience in creating style guides and interface guidelines. This work has given me and in-depth knowledge of patterns and essential UI guidelines.

Other Design Experience

Includes design strategy, leadership, communicating design, communication, mobile design, journey mapping, flow mapping and writing.

Education

Masters in Science, Health Informatics

Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis
GPA 3.7, 2012

Masters in Library Science

Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis
GPA 3.9/4.0, 2006

Bachelor of Arts in English & Philosophy

Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis
GPA 3.9/4.0, 2004

Publications

Final Report: Integrating Clinical Decision Support Into Workflow

Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), ACTION Award Number: HSA290200600013-3, Washington, D.C., 2011.

A National Collaborative in Reducing Healthcare-Associated Infections: Current Initiatives, Challenges and Opportunities.

American Journal of Infection Control. 2011 Oct;39(8):685-9.

Redesign of a computerized clinical reminder for colorectal cancer screening: A human-computer interaction evaluation.

BMC Med Inform Decis Mak. 2011; 11:74.

Implementing the MRSA Bundle in ICUs: One City-wide Collaborative’s Lessons and Successful Strategies.

Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology. 2011 Sep;32(9):918-21

Get In Touch

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