MediConnect

2024

During my UX design course, I chose to create a case study about a telemedicine app to explore the intersection of healthcare and technology, a field with significant potential to improve lives. Telemedicine apps offer a critical solution to accessibility challenges, particularly for underserved or remote populations. By studying this topic, I aimed to understand user needs, pain points, and behaviour in a highly sensitive domain, while also addressing design considerations such as accessibility, usability, and trust.


Project image
Project image
Project image

Process

Empathise

User interviews / Affinity map

Interview goals

The objective of the user interviews was to understand user behaviour and uncover pain points in their experience with telemedicine apps. It was crucial to recognise that telemedicine apps offer significant convenience, e.g. for patients traveling. Users highly valued these apps for ensuring timely medical advice, especially when paired with intuitive interfaces that are easy to navigate.

Key features such as video consultations, sick notes, doctor chats, and emergency services were identified as highly individualised but essential functionalities. Affinity mapping helped streamline the process by organising and grouping interview data into clear categories, making it easier to identify patterns and themes.

To transcribe the interviews I used AI.

More information about the interview partners and interview insights

Pain points

Waiting times for an appointment
  • The waiting time for an online appointment can be longer; Appointments can be postponed due to a high demand.

Challenges in managing Doctor appointment
  • Users must register on a waiting list for a doctor's appointment and continuously check their status to see if they’ve reached the top, leading to significant frustration and uncertainty.

Delayed Specialist Responses via Chat
  • If the specialist's response via chat is delayed, the patient must repeatedly check his mobile phone to see if he has received a new message.

Video consultation
  • The Video Call Option in the App is missing

Enhancing Security and Access
  • To have access to a treatment plan, the app prompts the user to log in again using Face ID.

Define

Personas

Description

Based on user interviews, I developed two personas to represent the primary user groups of the telemedicine app, translating research insights into actionable user journeys. This process ensured realistic scenarios reflecting user needs, goals, and pain points while addressing key challenges.

More about the define stage: user persona and user journey map

Ideate

User journey / User flow

User journey


I used journey maps to identify gaps and inefficiencies in the user experience because they provide a clear, visual representation of the entire process a user goes through when interacting with a product or service. Later I discovered the two user journeys were quite similar, both involving booking a video call. To diversify the design, I focused on a user flow for chatting with a doctor for one persona.
User flow
I later discovered the two user journeys were quite similar, both involving booking a video call. To diversify the design, I focused on a user flow for chatting with a doctor for one persona.

More information about the ideate stage: information architecture beforeresults card sorting and user flows



Design

Prototypes

Low and High fidelity prototypes

I finally decided to focus on the flows booking a video call, and rescheduling an appointment, basing the wireframes on these key functionalities. These features emerged as core priorities for users based on interview insights and pain points, such as the lack of a video call option, challenges with booking appointments, the need for appointment management for busy users.

Using a persona created with AI, I also designed wireframes for the prescription renewal flow to address specific needs.
I created both low- and high-fidelity wireframes in Figma, refining the design while adjusting the color palette for user preferences and accessibility. A Figma plugin helped ensure the design met accessibility standards by addressing color contrast issues.

For more information about the design stage: style guide

Conclusion

In my design process, I focused on addressing key user needs, recognising that convenience and control are central to improving the overall healthcare experience. One of the primary pain points I identified was the lack of a video call option, which many users found essential for better communication with healthcare providers. I also recognised the frustration surrounding appointment management—long waiting times and uncertainty about scheduling appointments were raised as pain points. To alleviate this, I prioritised giving users the ability to determine their own appointment times and manage them more easily, aiming to reduce frustration and enhance the overall experience.
Additionally, I worked to make the process of video calls as seamless as possible, as well as on the process of prescription renewals, ensuring that users could access their care quickly and efficiently. My design decisions were informed by the personas I developed, which reflected real user needs and behaviours, helping to guide my approach and ensure that the solutions I implemented were truly user-centric.

However, while significant progress has been made, I acknowledge that there is still much more to be done. Users expressed the need for an improved chat function to reduce waiting times, as well as enhanced security features. Additionally, the ability to easily connect with and manage favourite doctors would further streamline the process for users. These are just a few of the remaining pain points and needs that should be addressed as the next steps in improving the user experience.

More work