Matrix-based medical forms are gaining popularity in healthcare for their ability to improve data collection and streamline processes. If you're an engineer in healthcare IT or medical informatics, it's essential to understand how to design and implement these forms. Mastering this can optimize clinical workflows and enhance patient care.
In this blog post, Health Samurai's product manager Maria Ryzhikova will show you how to create efficient, user-friendly matrix-style medical forms using the Aidbox Public Form Builder. She'll use examples like the PHQ-2/PHQ-9 and GAD-7 to demonstrate how these forms can streamline depression and anxiety screening processes in clinical settings.
The post will cover:
Digital forms are designed to:
But the real magic lies in a creative process! It’s not just about the tools but also the decisions made by the form designer.
Today, we're excited to introduce you to a type of medical form that works best in a table format: matrix forms. These forms are usually a set of questions with the same set of answers. Most often, such forms include calculation of the total score.
You could present them as separate drop-down fields but grouping them into a matrix makes the form more intuitive, reduces space, and saves time. This decreases cognitive load, helping doctors or patients quickly find the right answers because the list of answers is in front of your eyes.
If a doctor fills out the form, we can display a field that automatically calculates the total score. After completing the form, the doctor can see the score interpretation based on the range, giving them all the necessary information at a glance.
We’ve created two forms, PHQ-2/9 and GAD-7, that are available in our Public Form Gallery.
The PHQ-2 is a brief screening tool that assesses the frequency of depressed mood and lack of interest over the past two weeks. It consists of the first two questions from the longer PHQ-9 form. If a patient scores higher than 2 on the PHQ-2, it is recommended to proceed with the full PHQ-9 or a clinical evaluation. The PHQ-9 is a more comprehensive tool that includes nine questions based on DSM-IV criteria for depression. It helps in diagnosing and monitoring the severity of depression.
To enhance efficiency, we have combined the PHQ-2 and PHQ-9 into one dynamic form using matrix design. This approach leverages the "enable-when" rule, which makes additional fields appear based on the PHQ-2 score. If the PHQ-2 score is higher than 2, the form dynamically reveals the additional seven questions from the PHQ-9.
The PHQ-9 total score falls within
When the form is sent to the patient to fill out for self-assessment, then the scores and interpretation fields can be hidden.
The GAD-7 (Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7) is a brief measure that helps in diagnosing and assessing the severity of generalized anxiety disorder. It is a self-administered questionnaire that patients can complete quickly, making it highly practical for both clinical and research settings.
So there you have it! Digital matrix forms are changing the game in healthcare data collection. They're fast, smart, and user-friendly - everything we need to keep pushing healthcare tech forward.
Have we met the expectations from digital forms? Watch the video to see both forms in action and use our Public Form Builder to customize and share these forms.
Creating matrix-based medical forms can drastically enhance the efficiency and accuracy of data collection in healthcare settings. By leveraging structured formats, these forms facilitate quick data entry and easy retrieval, ensuring that healthcare professionals have access to critical information when they need it most.
To experiment with building matrix-based medical forms yourself, try the free version of Aidbox. It offers all the necessary tools without any feature limitations, providing a perfect platform for development and testing.
Author:
Maria Ryzhikova,
Product Manager at Health Samurai
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