Developing human-centred design guidelines for laboratory trend graphs
Date
2026
Authors
Leef, Breanna
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Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
University of Victoria
Abstract
Patients increasingly access their laboratory results through online portals, yet many struggle to interpret lab trend graphs due to limited health, digital, and graph literacy. Existing visualization research rarely addresses the unique challenges of longitudinal lab data, leaving a gap in guidance for patient facing graph design. To address this, this project developed human-centred design [HCD] design guidelines for lab trend graphs and used them to create a prototype. The 8 guidelines were created based on themes in the literature on patient interpretation and usability of laboratory and categorized as required, recommended, or optional. The guidelines were then used to prototype an estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) trend graph. Feedback from experts in consumer health informatics and User Experience and User Interface (UX/UI) was used to refine the prototype. This work provides an evidence-informed foundation for designing patient-centred lab trend graphs and highlights opportunities for future research, including broader expert input and empirical evaluation of their impact on patient comprehension and usability.
Description
Keywords
human-centred design, laboratory, visualization, usability, interpretation, health information, Jamie Cassels Undergraduate Research Awards (JCURA)