Clinical Consult

Case Study: Clinical Consult Tool for Lab Report Rule Management

Client: Confidential (via Fractal Analytics) Project: Clinical Consult Rule Engine for Veterinary Pathologists Role: Product Designer (UI/UX) Duration: Oct 2023 Team: UX Researcher, UI/UX Designers (myself, Nikita, Rutuparna), PM, Engineers Tools Used: Figma, Miro, Mural, Zoom

1. Overview

This project involved designing a tool for veterinary pathologists to create, edit, simulate, and manage diagnostic rules tied to lab reports. The primary goal was to streamline clinical interpretations, reduce redundant consult calls, and enable standardization through a scalable rules engine.

2. Problem Statement

Pathologists currently use a rule-based system for interpreting lab results, but it is unintuitive and lacks a dedicated UI. The absence of a streamlined interface resulted in low engagement, inefficiency in communication, and a limited percentage of interpreted lab reports (\~10%).

3. My Role

• Conducted discovery workshops with users and stakeholders

• Mapped initial user flows based on synthesis sessions

• Designed mid- and high-fidelity interfaces for multiple use cases

• Integrated simulation capabilities into rule editing flows

• Maintained alignment with Mars’ visual guidelines for brand consistency

4. Process Timeline

Pre-Discovery: Stakeholder immersion, problem reframing Discovery Workshops: User behavior probing, Mural sessions Synthesis: Drafted user flows and features from findings Design: Iterative mid- and hi-fi prototyping with real-user feedback Review & Handoff: NPS captured, designs prepped for engineering

5. Research & Insights

Goals Uncovered:

• Increase % of interpreted lab reports from 10% to 90%

• Reduce consult calls between vets and pathologists

• Enable continuous education through improved tooling

Key Personas:

• Pathologists (rule creators/editors)

• Admins (approvers and access managers)

Insights:

• Need for contextual, low-clutter interfaces

• Real-time rule simulation improves confidence and reduces error

• Personalization via filters and comments increases usability

6. Ideation & Design

Core Flows:

• Display Rules: Search/filter rules, view status, archive (admin only)

• View Rule: Open drawer for metadata and admin comments

• Simulate Rule: Highlight analyte values that satisfy logic

• Create/Edit Rule: Add findings, test codes, simulate, submit

• Admin Flows: Approve rule, view messages, manage users

Design Considerations:

• Followed component-based structure for scalability

• Built clean, spaced layouts aligned with Mars UI branding

• Designed drawers/panels for seamless overlays

7. UI Design Highlights

Screens Delivered:

• System Status

• Display Rules Table

• View Rule + Simulation Panel

• Create Rule with real-time validation

• Admin Dashboards (User Management, Approvals)

Visual Style:

• Clean, non-overwhelming color scheme (client praised)

• Crisp one-task-per-screen structure

• Built-in validation for clips pass/fail during rule creation

8. Client Feedback

“It’s extremely user-friendly and the elements and colours are not overwhelming.” – Dr. Kelly Mitchell

“I like that it’s very crisp, it’s giving me one piece of information at a time.” – Dr. Shanna Pace

You feel like you’re completely in control.” – Nina Romanova, Product Lead

NPS: 10/10

9. Outcome & Impact

• Client used the design to inform engineering builds

• Presented at stakeholder summits as a flagship example

• Recognized internally as a success in rapid delivery and usability

10. Learnings & Reflection

• Workshops are powerful but must begin with clearer UX deliverables

• Rule logic is best expressed with visual simulation tools

• Delegating admin tasks in UI requires thoughtful IA and control models

• Users appreciated speed + precision over multi-step guidance

11. Visual Gallery (sanitized placeholders)

• Rule Dashboard (Table View + Filters)

• Rule Drawer (Metadata, Simulation Snapshots)

• Create Rule Page (Logic Blocks + Code Editor)

• Admin Panel (User Access + Messages)