How the CDC is Using Human-Centered Design to Transform the Critical Work of Epidemiologists
During the recent COVID-19 pandemic, those outside of the health and science community witnessed the complex and urgent work done by epidemiologists. The public received a window into the complex processes through which public health professionals identify, track, and prevent the spread of infectious diseases.
For epidemiologists, the pandemic put the limitations of their digital infrastructure and systems into sharp relief—including the National Electronic Disease Surveillance System (NEDSS) Base System (NBS). The NBS is a CDC-developed information system that helps local, state, and territorial public health departments manage reportable disease data and send notifiable disease data to CDC. It is used by 27 health departments across 26 U.S. states and territories.
Using Human-Centered Design to Build Trust and Increase Adoption
Even before the pandemic, NBS users had been frustrated by the aging user experience and interface (UX/UI). The lag times and nonstandard workflows made conducting investigations and merging patient and lab data burdensome.
To solve these issues, the CDC partnered with Enquizit, technical cloud consultants with a long history of using human-centered design (HCD), to transform the NBS and improve the working lives of epidemiologists nationally. The CDC hoped that by improving the quality of the user experience, they could also increase adoption of the NBS. The HCD process is not only designed to identify necessary technical improvements; it also aims to build trust among stakeholders. By leveraging HCD, Enquizit and the CDC could both identify ways to make the NBS easier to use and evangelize the value of the system.
A Step-by-Step Guide to Digital Transformation using HCD
Enquizit identified the following steps to transform the NBS:
Create buy-in with stakeholders by soliciting feedback from epidemiologists.
Diagnose the problem using HCD methods like fly-on-the-wall observations, user testing, and focus groups.
Map stakeholder journeys through persona development and workflow diagrams.
Take an agile, iterative approach to technical improvements.
Migrate the system to the cloud to make deploying future upgrades easier.
At the outset, the teams leading the charge were met with a disheartening warning from stakeholders: “You’re never going to improve the way public health operates.” But by using HCD, Enquizit and the CDC were able to build excitement and momentum around the NBS project as they worked to make the NBS into an easy-to-use, simple-to-search app that supports public health.
Read more about how Enquizit and the CDC are using human-centered design to transform public health tracking by downloading our eBook: Reimagining Tracking and Surveillance of Diseases in the Cloud.
