Surgical Scheduling Dashboard
A dashboard for optimizing surgery schedules and enhancing the process of information processing for surgical booking
Overview
I joined this project when ORCHID Analytics was developing a GUI demo for a children's hospital in North America. The hospital was struggling with surgical scheduling - there was a lot of manual work, communication gaps between teams, and the existing optimization algorithm output was too complex for the people who actually needed to use it.
I came in as the sole UX researcher for 17 months. The team already had some initial designs, so my job was to understand the users, test what existed, and figure out how to make the interface actually work for the people using it day-to-day.
My Role:
Sole UX Researcher (Contract)
Client:
ORCHID Analytics
Duration:
17 Months
Key User Insights
🏥 Complex Decision Matrix: "Division Managers juggle multiple factors: surgeon availability, equipment resources, post-op capacity, and HR constraints - all requiring real-time visibility."
📊 Data Overwhelm: "Existing systems presented too much information without prioritization, making it difficult to focus on critical decisions that impact patient care."
🔄 Manual Processes: "Teams wanted to upload existing scheduling files rather than re-inputting data, and needed clear visualization of schedule changes."
⚡ Time-Sensitive Planning: "Users needed to monitor and optimize schedules for the next two weeks while running scenario planning for better resource allocation."
How I Approached the Research
I started by surveying the two user groups to understand what they actually needed from a dashboard. I wanted to know: what decisions are you making, what information do you need, and what's currently frustrating about the process?
Research Questions & Findings
What I Wanted to Learn
- What decisions do Division Managers make daily?
- What information is most critical vs. nice-to-have?
- What are the biggest pain points in current workflows?
- How do they know when something needs immediate attention?
What Division Managers Actually Do
- Allocate surgery time blocks for their departments
- Coordinate with multiple teams inside and outside their department
- Consider surgeon schedules, equipment availability, HR capacity, and post-op bed availability all at once
Design Solution
Based on user research, I designed a comprehensive dashboard that addresses the core challenges of surgical scheduling through intuitive interface design and smart information architecture.
Real-Time Schedule Monitoring
Two-week schedule visibility with smart filtering and priority indicators to help Division Managers focus on critical decisions.
Scenario Planning Tools
Interactive parameter adjustment allowing users to test different scheduling scenarios and see immediate impact on resource allocation.
Customizable KPI Dashboard
User-selectable metrics with threshold alerts, ensuring teams can track what matters most to their department.
File Integration System
Upload existing scheduling files to eliminate manual data entry and reduce errors in the planning process.
Design Evolution Through Testing
I joined the project when initial designs existed and led comprehensive usability testing to refine the interface, focusing on accessibility and user workflow optimization.
🔍 Critical Design Challenge
Problem: The initial interface suffered from information overwhelm - too much data presented without hierarchy, making critical decisions difficult for time-pressed medical staff.
Solution: I redesigned the information architecture to prioritize critical functions and provide customizable views that match user mental models.
Before: Information Overload
Key Issues Identified
- Overwhelming data presentation without prioritization
- Poor navigation patterns for first-time users
- No clear visual hierarchy for critical decisions
After: Strategic Information Design
Design Improvements
- Consolidated critical information on single dashboard
- Clear visual hierarchy with progressive disclosure
- Accessible design patterns for diverse user expertise
Accessibility & Usability Focus
Throughout the design process, I ensured the interface would work for users with varying levels of technical expertise, from junior staff to experienced administrators, while meeting healthcare industry accessibility standards.
Project Outcomes
This 17-month research and design project resulted in significant improvements to surgical scheduling workflows and cross-team collaboration.
Key Achievements
🤝 Stakeholder Alignment
Bridged communication gaps between surgical team leaders and booking administrators through collaborative research sessions.
🎯 Feature Validation
Identified and validated critical GUI features that directly address user pain points and workflow inefficiencies.
🚀 Development Readiness
Delivered comprehensive prototypes that streamlined the development process and reduced implementation uncertainty.
📊 Evidence-Based Decisions
Provided data-driven insights that increased stakeholder confidence in MVP feature prioritization and resource allocation.