Rapid Procedural Guidance
Designing a native mobile experience to deliver fast, step-by-step guidance for critical vascular access.
The Teleflex Arrow EZ-IO is a drill-like device used in medical emergencies to quickly deliver fluids and medications through the bone when an IV isn’t possible.
Its mobile app needed to balance clinical precision with easy and predictable usability, making critical info quickly accessible without adding to a typical user’s heavy cognitive load. The design approach focused on organizing complex medical data into flows suited to actual emergency scenarios.
DISCOVERY
The Problem
Emergency adult and pediatric vascular procedures require different techniques and guidance for using this single device.
The challenge was organizing and separating specialized info into separate modes within one application, keeping the appropriate instructions easy to locate and making it easy to stay within the intended mode during time-critical situations.
Design Considerations
Clinical Accuracy
Preserve the important differences between adult and pediatric procedures
Information Hierarchy
Organize the technical content into recognizable, task-based categories
Usability Under Pressure
Provide a predictable navigation without overwhelming users with information
PLANNING
Designing for Decisions Under Pressure
The application was structured around a sequence of decisions rather than a conventional reference library. The experience begins by establishing the patient’s classification, then identifying the appropriate insertion site before presenting the relevant procedural guidance. This sequence provides a common framework for both patient groups while allowing the information to change according to clinical context.
When a clinician is under pressure, the last thing they need is to sort through instructions intended for the wrong patient. The application was structured to keep adult and pediatric guidance separate from the start, following a clear progression from patient ID to insertion to the appropriate procedure instructions.
Progressive Disclosure
Procedural information was broken into clear steps so users could focus on the task without competing information.
Context-Aware Paths
Adult and pediatric selections directed users into the appropriate techniques, insertion sites, and supporting guidance.
Consistent Navigation
Shared interaction patterns kept procedural steps, videos, and product information predictable across both modes.
IMPLEMENTATION
Interaction Architecture
A comprehensive wireframe mapped the application’s navigation, content relationships, and procedural pathways. The architecture accounted for shared content categories while maintaining separation wherever clinical requirements differed.
Mapping these relationships before visual design helped establish the dependencies between patient classification, insertion-site selection, and supporting procedural material. The resulting functional prototype provided a foundation for reviewing the experience and refining navigation before moving into detailed interface design.
One System, Two Clinical Contexts
The primary architectural challenge was accommodating two distinct sets of device instructions within one consistent application. Adult and pediatric procedures may reference the same insertion site but require different techniques and clinical considerations. Separating the experience by patient type presents appropriate instruction without duplicating the entire interface.
This approach maintained consistency across navigation, content hierarchy, and interaction consistency while respecting the important differences between procedures.
The Interface
The visual design extended the established architecture into an experience built around clear direction and familiarity. Anatomical references, procedure steps, clinical considerations, and demonstrative videos were organized into consistent screen patterns. Content hierarchy distinguished important instructions from secondary information, while easily-adopted navigation control reduced the need to relearn the interface when moving between procedures.
The result was a cohesive system in which content could change according to clinical context without changing how the application fundamentally worked.
Specific color themes were chosen to accentuate the difference in patient type and avoid misinformation between procedures. Pediatric-specific information was assigned a clinical green and cobalt blue to adult-specific information.
OUTCOME
Evidence & Impact
The application provided Teleflex with an interactive reference tool to accompany and demonstrate at the EZ-IO product launch and keynote presentation. Rather than relying exclusively on printed documentation, the digital experience provided a structured way to explore and present instructional content through a single mobile interface.
Key Release Features
Two Clinical Pathways:
Adult and pediatric procedural guidance organized within one shared interaction architecture.
Prototype-based Disposition:
Functional wireframes reviewed and approved during development, establishing the direction for the final interface.
Active Field Guide:
An interactive reference experience made available for procedural information, education, and presentation.
Extensible Platform:
Reusable elements and patterns laid the foundation for future iteration and capacity for product direction shift.
RETRO
Important Takeaways
The most consequential design decision was creating patient context before presenting procedural information, avoiding risk and misuse of the product. That distinction made it possible to organize different requirements within one experience rather than introducing separate navigation systems for each patient group.
The project reinforced the importance of establishing information architecture before committing to design or prototyping, particularly when the content is specialized and a user’s confusion can create significant consequences. Ongoing usability testing would be a valuable next step for evaluating and gaining insight into how effectively the experience supports clinicians under realistic conditions and scenarios.