Guided Assessments

Transforming a frustrating post-hospitalization tool into a streamlined, clinician-centered Smartapp.

Company

Role

Year

DaVita

Design Lead

2024 - Present

The Challenge

A tool that created more problems than it solved

In 2024, DaVita launched Care Pathways—an EHR-native application meant to help registered nurses (RNs) and care team members provide appropriate follow-up after a patient’s hospitalization. The idea was sound: guide clinical outreach to reduce repeat hospital visits and improve long-term outcomes.

But in practice, the app missed the mark.

RNs found the experience overwhelming—bloated with redundant questions, disorganized sections, and an overreliance on free-text responses. Instead of enabling care, it drained time and created friction.

Some asked whether the tool was there to help… or to audit:

“Is this a tool or a threat?”
“The charting expectation across Cerner is unhinged.”
“It feels like they’re babysitting us.”

Yet, buried in the frustration was a signal: the structure was helpful for newer nurses. There was potential—if only we could simplify, refocus, and redesign the entire experience around what clinicians actually need.

Bloated Input Volume

The application required RNs to input far too much information even for quick phone calls—over 70 fields led to clinician burnout.

Disorganized Clinical Sections

Because the clinical workflow wasn't created with the user in mind, RNs were forced to skip around the application while intaking patient info.

Free Text Overreliance

The application forced RNs to 'write a story' about their phone call, while the free text areas didn't correlate to a real world experience.

The Vision

From EHR-native to smartapp ecosystem

Alongside my product and tech partners, we proposed to rebuild Care Pathways as a standalone SMART on FHIR app, removing it from Oracle Cerner’s constraints and integrating it into our growing suite of connected clinical tools.

This shift wasn’t just about changing platforms. It was about changing the philosophy behind the product:

From bloated forms to clear workflows
From audit anxiety to actionable insight
From EHR-bound limitations to modular, forward-looking care tools

Driving UX strategy & execution

Lead with insight. Design for action.

The redesign journey began with deep discovery.

I partnered closely with product leadership to set a development timeline, understand business goals, and map a feasible multi-quarter plan. With that foundation in place, I conducted a full UX audit—evaluating every screen, input, and interaction against the pilot user feedback.

The goal? Identify high-impact opportunities that could realistically be delivered by our tech team.

To prioritize solutions, I built an impact vs. effort matrix—then co-facilitated alignment sessions with engineering to refine feasibility. That matrix became our strategic north star, guiding design decisions and development tradeoffs over an 8–10 month pre-development window.

Workflow Map

Prioritizing what matters most

Our UX audit revealed the core issues: too many redundant inputs, unclear question logic, and too much reliance on free text. I synthesized feedback from RNs, product teams, and tech partners to identify the highest-impact changes.

To make this actionable:

I plotted each pain point in an impact/effort matrix
Co-facilitated weekly working sessions to validate design feasibility with engineering
Prioritized solutions that improved efficiency, reduced documentation time, and clarified next steps for users

Creating Priorities

To ensure design efforts were focused, I created a prioritization matrix to align the team on what mattered most based on findings from the Audit.

This allowed us to map out our work based on urgency and strategic value, ensuring early wins while paving the way for longer-term improvements.

-High impact, low effort: establishing a clear workflow pattern, unified accessibility improvements

-High impact, high effort: reorganize patient population view, one click action to essential workflows

Designing the Solution

A smarter, faster, more focused Care Pathways experience

Built from the ground up for real-world care

From sketches to high-fidelity UI, I led the full design effort—balancing clinical nuance with usability. Key improvements included:

Modular workflows that reduce noise and surface only what’s relevant to each scenario
Smart inputs that replaced long narrative text with guided select and multi-select fields
Custom components purpose-built for the app’s unique needs, expanding beyond our standard design system
Prototype flows that told a clear, end-to-end story and enabled confident stakeholder buy-in

Every element was designed with clarity and clinical context in mind. We also built with the future in mind—connecting Care Pathways to existing smartapps like the Patient Care Summary, and ensuring flexibility to integrate with upcoming modules like Care Plans.

Modular Workflows

To create a more customized experience, I designed dynamic sections that fit into the RNs conversation, enabling seamless intake.

Intentional Inputs

I partnered closely with UX research to drill down on the exact information and inputs we should present to clinicians as they spoke with patients.

Custom Components

While using components from the existing design system, most of the application's components were custom-built specifically for the app.

Solution Quickview

Results

The smartapp is now fully spec’d and scheduled for development in summer 2025. The total investment across UX, product, and tech is projected at nearly $1 million—a direct reflection of the strategic value this tool now holds for the business.

What began as a frustrating tool for overworked RNs is being transformed into a seamless, clinician-centered experience. Our redesign gives time back to care teams, makes documentation faster and clearer, and aligns DaVita’s platform around smarter, more connected digital care.