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About the Project 

Role: 
UX Research
Prototyping
Testing + Iterating 

Duration: 
4 weeks
Feb 2022

Tools: 
Figma
Photoshop

PROJECT OVERVIEW

Problem: 

Due to long wait times at emergency rooms and walk-in clinics in Canada, patients are facing several issues such as overcrowding, low patient satisfaction, increased health risks, and patients leaving without receiving treatment. The lack of an efficient system is resulting in delays, confusion, and frustration for both patients and healthcare professionals. There is an urgent need for a solution that can streamline the patient intake process and reduce the wait times to improve the overall healthcare experience.

Solution:

With H.E.A.L, patients can register online, check wait times, enter a queue from their phones. They can also wait in the comfort of their own homes and only have to be in the waiting room when they are near the front of the queue. H.E.A.L will ideally use an algorithm that analyzes wait times, patient flow, and resources to provide accurate estimates. Additionally users can receive online help instantly so they never have to leave their homes. This not only improves patient satisfaction but also optimizes resource utilization and reduces overcrowding. With H.E.A.L, healthcare professionals can focus on delivering quality care and improving patient outcomes, while patients can enjoy a more efficient, convenient, and stress-free healthcare experience.

Problem Statement:

How might we reduce the amount of time patients
spend waiting at an emergency room or walk in clinic ?

UNDERSTANDING THE USER

Survey

During the ideation and research phase of my project, I conducted a survey to better understand people to better understand them and their concerns. The questions were based on timelines, family, challenges, and location.

 

10 questions | 12 responses 
 

Main Insights:

  • Waiting for long periods of time often resulted in worsening of symptoms

  • 5 out of the 12 respondents stated that they had to take children or with them to the doctors appointments.

  • The longest someone had to wait at the E.R. was nearly 3 hours

  • Most people stated they spent less than 10 minutes with a physician  

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Summary of Insights:

  • Long wait times: Patients reported having to wait for hours before seeing a healthcare professional. This was cited as the most significant issue faced by patients.

  • Overcrowding: Patients reported overcrowding in waiting rooms, which made the waiting experience uncomfortable and unpleasant.

  • Lack of transparency: Patients reported a lack of transparency in wait times and appointment scheduling, which resulted in confusion and frustration.

  • Patient comfort: Survey respondents noted that being ill and sitting in hard hospital chairs was uncomfortable and could possibly worsen symptoms.

  • Safety concerns: People expressed a fear of contracting additional illnesses due to sharing a waiting room with other ill individuals.

  • Low patient satisfaction: Patients reported low levels of satisfaction with the overall healthcare experience, which impacted their trust in the healthcare system.

 

Conversations

After analyzing the survey results, I reached out to three of the respondents to inquire further about their struggles. 

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USER PERSONA

Meet Milan!

Based on the survey results and the interviews, I set up a persona to refer to through out the rest of the process. 

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IDEATION 

H.E.A.L - Features 

After conducting surveys, interviews, and brainstorming sessions, I identified three key features for the app

1. View wait times and queue length

Users can view current wait times and queue length for various hospitals and walk in clinics before deciding.    

2. Location Details

All details about a particular location will be provided including a link to google maps, parking information, address, and contact information.

3. Join queue 

Users will be able to secure a spot in line from their homes and will be notified when they are almost at the front of the queue. 

DESIGN EXPLORATION

Exploring Ideas With Sketches 

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KEY INSIGHTS

I then presented these rough sketches to potential users for feedback

Feedback:

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  • Saved Profiles: To address the potential annoyance of users having to repeatedly enter their information every time they use the app, I added a new feature: saved profiles. By allowing returning users to access their previously saved information, this feature eliminates the need for users to re-enter their details every time they use the app

  • Ability to add additional patients: During a feedback session, a participant mentioned that they once had to take both of their children to the emergency room, and suggested that having an option to add another patient to the queue would be helpful.

STYLING GUIDELINES 

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HI-FIDELITY PROTOTYPE

Introducing H.E.A.L

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