Pertussis in maternity care settings (discovery)
During our initial discovery, we wanted to understand:
- How maternity care settings operate and how patients receive maternity vaccinations
- Users’ attitudes and ideas towards different ways of flowing and reporting Pertussis vaccination data
- The likelihood of maternity care settings using the record a vaccination service to record Pertussis vaccinations
During user interviews, we built a clear picture of how patients move through the pertussis vaccine journey — helping us develop a detailed map that represents the current experience of maternity users.
The journey map helped us to adapt our current ‘record a vaccination’ designs to meet the specific needs of maternity care settings. We then tested updated prototypes with maternity users to refine and validate our designs.
Checking in a patient
Users either search for a patient with an NHS or hospital number. Once a match is found, they are presented with the patient record screen to check the patient’s details and proceed with the vaccination.
During testing, users confirmed:
- The patient’s record screen included the details they would expect
- Typically, they check in patients uing their name, date of birth and one more demographic detail.
Choosing a vaccine
Users found the vaccine screen simple and clean, appreciating the ability to select vaccines they only administer in their care setting.
Recording consent
This screen tested well and aligned with users’ expectations around recording consent.
Checking eligibility and screening the patient
Users expressed a need to keep the screening questions in clinical language, allowing a nurse or midwife to paraphrase (based on their experience). While less experienced staff were more likely to read the questions line by line.
Users confirmed that maternity care settings only vaccinate expectant mothers (not babies). And suggested including a hyperlink to the official published GOV.UK Pertussis patient group direction (PGD) vaccination guidance would be helpful.
However, some users expressed concerns that the eligibility questions were more comprehensive than those featured in the current systems they use to record Pertussis vaccinations.
Vaccinate
This screen tested well. There were a few exceptions relating to changing the mandatory to a non-mandatory free text box.
Users also confirmed the vaccinator is the responsible clinician. Therefore, only one field would be required.
Checking and confirming details
This screen tested well. However, users were more focused on what happened next.
Most users expected the data to flow to GP systems automatically. While, some expressed concerns over duplicating efforts if they use local systems to record this information.
The feedback highlights a need for some users to import data already captured in their local systems into RAVS.
Usability score and summary
Overall, maternity users scored the record a vaccination journey 6.5 out of 7 (very confident), finding it straightforward to use and visually similar to other NHS platforms.
Users are confident the service could record a Pertussis vaccination completely and accurately.
While the prototype tested well, users had reservations about using the service to record Pertussis vaccinations unless:
- They can import vaccination data from local systems into RAVS
- RAVS automatically flows data into GP systems
“There’s no point if the data is not going anywhere”.
“We already capture it elsewhere.”