Codeveloping a Clinical Pathway for Recurrent Clostridioides difficile Infection With Primary Care Providers: User-Centered Design Study
Interactive Journal of Medical Research. 2026;15:e93032.
doi: 10.2196/93032 ↗About Jordan
Jordan Anthony Tate BDes
Working between healthcare, design research and visual communication to make knowledge useful in everyday practice.
I am a Senior Human-Centred Designer with the University of Alberta’s Physician Learning Program. Based in Edmonton, I work with clinicians, researchers, patients and community partners to understand complex care experiences and translate that understanding into practical tools, services and resources.
My practice brings together participatory design, qualitative inquiry, information design and knowledge translation. I am interested in how people make sense of information, navigate services and make decisions—and how design can better support them within the realities of everyday care.
Since joining the Physician Learning Program in 2019, I have contributed to work across diabetes, cirrhosis, cancer diagnosis, antimicrobial stewardship, adrenal insufficiency and musculoskeletal care. My contributions span discovery and journey mapping, co-design, prototyping, usability testing, clinical workflow design and research dissemination. Outputs include clinical pathways, patient education resources, decision algorithms, service blueprints and digital tools.
My background in Communication Design at Emily Carr University of Art + Design informs both the research and craft of this work: asking useful questions, making relationships visible, and developing clear visual and interactive forms that people can understand and use. My approach combines rigour and creativity, with close attention to accessibility, the context of use and collaboration across disciplines.
01
Research & practice interests
Participatory design in healthcare
Working with patients, clinicians and communities to understand needs, develop ideas and iteratively refine resources around their intended use.
Clinical cognition & decision support
Exploring mental models, information needs and decision-making through cognitive task analysis and usability research.
Knowledge translation & information design
Making research and clinical guidance accessible through pathways, diagrams, educational resources and visual explanations.
Care journeys & system implementation
Understanding how tools fit within care pathways, clinical workflows and the wider context of health services.
Methods in practice
Interviews · Journey mapping · Co-design workshops · Qualitative synthesis · Cognitive task analysis · Prototyping · Think-aloud usability testing · Service blueprinting
Design & communication
Visual communication
Publication and editorial design, infographics, typography, branding and visual identity. My work spans research posters, reports, presentations, educational resources and print and digital campaigns.
Digital & interaction design
Information architecture, interface prototyping, websites, digital tools and visualizations. I bring visual and interaction design together to make complex information easier to navigate and reduce unnecessary cognitive load.
02
Selected publications
Peer-reviewed publications · Co-author
Antimicrobial Prophylaxis Practices for Obstetrical Infection Prevention in Alberta: A Multi-Method Study
Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology Canada. 2026;48(1):103173. Published online November 2025.
doi: 10.1016/j.jogc.2025.103173 ↗The Development of an Online Palliative Care Toolkit for Cirrhosis
Canadian Liver Journal. 2025;8(2):276–279.
doi: 10.3138/canlivj-2024-0022 ↗Gastroscopy for dyspepsia: Understanding primary care and gastroenterologist mental models of practice: A cognitive task analysis approach
Journal of the Canadian Association of Gastroenterology. 2023;6(6):234–243.
doi: 10.1093/jcag/gwad035 ↗Ongoing scholarly work
Co-authored manuscript work also includes continuous glucose monitoring education, implementation investigators’ cognitive work, and the Modified Critical Decision methodology. These are distinct from the published articles listed above.
Co-authored manuscript work also includes continuous glucose monitoring education, implementation investigators’ cognitive work, and the Modified Critical Decision methodology. These are distinct from the published articles listed above.
03
Selected projects
Continuous glucose monitoring
Patient learning journeys · Co-design · Information design · Usability
Project context
Developing educational resources with adults living with type 2 diabetes and diabetes care providers, including a guide to understanding continuous glucose monitoring reports. The work connects patients’ learning needs with clear explanations and practical conversations about their care.
Cirrhosis care
Clinical tools · Digital resources · Workflow design
Project context
Contributing to cirrhosis symptom-management resources, an online palliative care toolkit, and clinical workflow tools for Connect Care. This work brings clinical knowledge into formats that support care planning and use within existing systems.
Cancer diagnosis pathways
Journey mapping · Patient resources · Research communication
Project context
Co-designing cancer diagnosis pathways and resources for newcomer and rural patients in Alberta. Contributions include visualizing care journeys and developing patient and provider materials, with related multilingual print and video resources.
Recurrent C. difficile
Pathway design · Usability synthesis · Visualization
Project context
Contributing to the iterative development of a provincial clinical pathway with primary care providers. Scenario-based testing informed refinements to diagnostic guidance, navigation and referral information. The co-development study was published in 2026.
Antimicrobial stewardship
Process mapping · Decision algorithms · Patient education
Project context
Mapping care processes and developing clinical and patient-facing resources across antimicrobial use in pregnancy and beta-lactam allergy. Related research examines antimicrobial prophylaxis practices during labour and delivery in Alberta.
Adrenal insufficiency & back care
Patient toolkits · Journey mapping · Communication design
Project context
Contributing to adrenal insufficiency patient resources and treatment-plan materials, alongside patient journey-mapping work for the Alberta Back Care Pathway. These projects connect information design with the practical needs of people managing health conditions.
Housing & independence
Independent collaboration · Research synthesis · Report design
Project context
Through Project HOPE, contributing research synthesis and communication design to work exploring housing, independence and community for autistic adults. This independent collaboration extends my practice into service and community settings beyond the Physician Learning Program.
04
Presentations & recognition
Selected collaborative presentations
Codesigning a continuous glucose monitoring guide for diabetesPoster · Family Medicine Summit, Calgary · March 2026
Also presented at Diabetes Canada/CSEM, Toronto · November 2025
Also presented at Diabetes Canada/CSEM, Toronto · November 2025
Engaging primary care providers and patient partners in co-developing a provincial pathwayPoster · Family Medicine Summit, Calgary · March 2026
Navigating complexity: Investigators’ cognitive work in implementing a complex intervention in a dynamic health systemCo-authored oral presentation · Pharmaceutical Care Network Europe, Innsbruck / virtual · February 2026
Co-designing cancer diagnosis tools with rural and newcomer communitiesPoster · Care that Fits, Paris · October 2025
Human-centered design approaches to understanding experiences in healthcarePoster · Physician Learning Program Summit, Edmonton · June 2024
Research recognition · 2025
Second Place — Reviewer’s Choice Research Award, Poster Display
Co-designing Cancer Diagnosis Pathways for Newcomer and Rural Patients in Alberta. Family Medicine Summit, Alberta College of Family Physicians. Awarded to the collaborative poster team.
View award announcement ↗05
Background & education
2019–present
Human-Centred Designer → Senior Human-Centred Designer
Physician Learning Program, Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry, University of Alberta.
2016
Research Assistant, Health Design Lab
Emily Carr University of Art + Design. Community-engaged design research and the development of communication and educational materials.
2017
Bachelor of Design, Communication Design
Emily Carr University of Art + Design.
My wider professional background includes communication design at Charitable Impact, agency work with St. Bernadine Mission Communications, and graphic and environmental communication at Scott Paragon Signs. This experience informs how I move between research, visual identity, editorial design and digital communication.
Alongside project delivery, I support design practice through guidance to junior designers and external collaborators. Current interests include developing connections between design education and healthcare practice.
Creative practice & collaboration
Photography, drawing and illustration remain an important part of my practice. They offer another way to observe, explore form and communicate experience alongside my work in healthcare and research. Outside work, you’ll often find me photographing Edmonton’s evolving cityscape, sketching ideas for new projects, reading manga or recharging at the gym.
Explore my artwork ↗ View photography ↗
For enquiries about human-centred design, research communication or visual design:
Get in touch ↗