The Canvas creation

In this little post we will take you from the first scribbles, through the rigid mid-phase all the way to the status-quo of the Canvas.

We have put countless hours of tea- and chocolate-driven brain work into the creation of our “PT Client Management Canvas”, which, to safe the tongue-twisting nature of the title, we simply like to call the “Canvas”. Admittedly “Canvas” is not as specific as PTCMC, but certainly much more user friendly.

The idea of the Canvas grew out of the need for a communication structure between getPTsmart.com and its users. We needed a form which allowed for the step-by-step recording of HOAC II-based clinical reasoning procedures that was intuitive, accurate and flexible. Simple, right? Well, what we thought to be a quick little add-on to our original project plan turned into a massive mission, both in workload and value. When we set out we knew that in order for the Canvas to benefit the project, it needed to fulfill a few key characteristics. Specifically, it needed to

1. allow for recording of all major HOAC II reasoning steps,
2. feature the ICF domains & terminology,
3. be intuitive and attractive by design and
4. leave room for different documentation habits & likings.

First scribbles

We probably had a good 50 scribbles, but this one is worth sharing, as it formed the foundation of the Canvas centre piece, the “Problem Tracking” sheet.

 

The rigid mid-phase

I guess you could say that we let our desire to create order out of chaos take the lead in this phase. We found ourselves caught in trying to structure what was virtually impossible to structure for a broad audience and a flexible application. The form featured an overly detailed interview findings section, neatly sliced-up into minute data boxes, barely large enough for type-writer based recording.

 

Status-quo

We backed-off on the compulsive need to structure every single piece of the form and retained the structure where it was clearly needed for the purpose of communicating the HOAC II based clinical reasoning.

Intentionally this section is not called “The final version”, as we know that the Canvas made it through puberty and entered adulthood, but it certainly has a a ways to go before complete maturation. At its current status we’d like to believe that the Canvas is flexible and useful beyond the limits of getPTsmart.com. It has become a strong centrepiece in the communication of our case studies and has endured many test-runs in clinical sessions.

Future

Hard to say what will happen with the Canvas in the near and far future. It greatly depends on the spread and popularity of getPTsmart.com, but we’re keen on continuously tweaking the Canvas based on your feedback and our own trials.