Co-designing emergency communication for patients with mechanical circulatory support devices

The use of Mechanical Circulatory Support (MCS) devices is increasing globally, with patients often presenting to emergency departments (EDs) or encountering emergency medical services (EMS). Complex device protocols and limited non-specialist training can lead to treatment delays. This study describes a multi-stage, co-design process undertaken to develop an emergency communication poster for patients with a HeartMate 3 left ventricular assist device. The poster is intended to support rapid assessment and initial device management by non-specialist clinicians. The design process involved clinical observations, research, concept development, global evaluation, and iterative refinement. Eighteen international MCS practitioners contributed feedback on the prototype, informing refinements to information hierarchy, visual structure, and clinical clarity. The final outcomes include a rapid-reference poster and a set of MCS emergency communication design principles. Together, these outputs demonstrate how an iterative, context-sensitive design approach can enhance clinical communication and support shared understanding in time-critical MCS care across diverse healthcare settings.