Family Physicians' Feedback on the Feature Design of a Digital Health Platform to Streamline the Care of Older Adults.

Abstract

Background/Objectives: Family physicians are essential to a well-functioning healthcare system; however, they face significant administrative and cognitive burdens that contribute to their burnout and reduce the quality of patient care they provide. Digital health tools offer potential solutions to these problems. This study examined the interface design and features of a digital health platform, Carmi, designed to mitigate administrative inefficiencies and cognitive overload by asynchronous patient data gathering and automated report generation. Methods: We conducted semi-structured interviews with nine family physicians practicing in Alberta, Canada, to gather their feedback on Carmi's interface design and features. Participants were asked to view a 20 min virtual demonstration of Carmi and provide input on its interface, navigation, potential impact on their clinic workflow, and suggestions for additional features. Interviews were transcribed and thematically analyzed using NVivo. Results: Participants found Carmi's interface user-friendly; most agreed that Carmi could reduce cognitive burden by automatically generating summary reports of assessments completed by patients and facilitating care coordination. Participants thought integration within existing electronic medical records was important, albeit Care of the Elderly physicians saw the value of Carmi as a standalone platform, noting that it can become a collaborative space where all healthcare providers can contribute to patient care. Conclusions: Carmi has the potential to improve primary care efficiency, especially for older adults with complex health needs. Work is underway at several pilot sites that have implemented Carmi so far to gather physicians, patients, and their caregivers' feedback on its usability.