Human-centered Design of Patient Interviews: Capturing the Experiences of Patients Recovering From Emergency Abdominal Surgery.

objectivesRecognizing the challenges of at-home recovery following a truncated presurgical pathway for emergency laparotomy (EL) patients, we sought to identify barriers and facilitators to optimal recovery. This study aimed to develop a human-centered interview guide to capture the experiences of patients recovering at home after EL.

methodsWe employed an iterative human-centered design (HCD) approach to interview guide development, structured across 3 cycles. Each cycle refined the interview guide based on mock interviews and feedback from an interdisciplinary team. In cycle 1, we focused on creating a patient-centered, understandable guide. In cycle 2, we introduced a preinterview survey to tailor and shorten the interview process. In cycle 3, we automatically integrated patient responses from the survey into the interview guide, streamlining the workflow for interviewers.

resultsThe HCD process yielded a comprehensive, efficient interview guide responsive to both patient and interviewer needs. The integration of a preinterview survey reduced the cognitive load for patients and minimized interviewer preparation time, facilitating in-depth patient discussions on EL recovery experiences.

conclusionsThis study underscores the value of HCD in research measurement design and tool development. The finalized guide enhances patient-centered data collection, reduces interviewer errors, and supports meaningful insights into EL recovery. This reusable protocol may benefit other researchers working on similar patient safety studies.