User experience design methodologies for developing a tele-round platform in public intensive care units in northern and northeastern Brazil

IntroductionDesigning digital health solutions for critical environments like intensive care units (ICUs) is challenging, especially in resource-constrained settings. The integration of user experience (UX) design methods into digital health development may improve alignment with clinical workflows, reduce barriers to adoption, and enhance perceived usefulness.ObjectiveTo apply user experience design methodologies to develop the interface of a telemedicine platform intended to support multidisciplinary tele-rounds in public ICUs in Northern and Northeastern Brazil.MethodsWe conducted a methodological study from February to May 2022, using the four-stage Double Diamond design model: Discover, Define, Develop, and Deliver. The design process was embedded within a Tele-ICU program implemented through the Brazilian Unified Health System (SUS), supporting public ICUs across the North and Northeast regions of the country. Design activities included desk research, rapid ethnography, benchmarking, development of personas and empathy maps, situational diagnosis of participating ICUs, user journey mapping, wireframing, and heuristic-based usability evaluation.ResultsThe primary outcome was the successful development and implementation of the “Mangará Digital” tele-round platform. The user-centered process directly informed key features designed to address identified user “pains”, such as time pressure and lack of process standardization. These features included at-a-glance patient summary cards, a visual ICU bed map, and integrated checklists.ConclusionThis study demonstrates that UX design methodologies can effectively guide the development of telemedicine platforms tailored to the realities of public ICUs in underserved regions. Explicit consideration of geographic, organizational, and infrastructural constraints is essential to ensure usability, adoption, and sustainability of digital health solutions in resource-constrained intensive care settings.