Creating transparency around wait time
As the Senior UX Designer, I designed a TV app that provides wait time transparency in 700+ Hospitals in India.
Client:
DocOn Technologies
My Role:
SR. UX Product Designer
Year:
2017
Team:
Jashan Gupta., Sandeep Joshi
OVERVIEW
With a low doctor to patient ratio, waiting time for a patient in India can vary from 10 to 90 mins for both walk-ins and appointments. Since the waiting time is long, patients easily lose their patience which sometimes can even lead to an argument or fight with the receptionist.
I designed and launched a TV application for clinics and hospitals that provides transparency around the wait time and creates a better waiting experience for patients.
PROBLEM STATEMENT
Waiting time for a patient in India can vary from 10 to 90 mins which can even lead to an argument or fight with the receptionist.
The goal of this project was to come up with a solution that helps receptionists create a better waiting experience for patients by creating transparency around wait time.
RESEARCH METHODS
Undertanding the waiting experience in hospitals and exploring existing solutions.
Contextual Inquiries
Conducted 8 interviews to capture observationals data.
Market Research Analysis
Analyzed existing solutions around queue status display.
FINDINGS
Core customer needs
1. Accommodate both Walk-in and Appointments
Most of the existing solutions support only walk-in and follow a token system thus not adaptable for hospitals that follow a mixture of walk-in and appointments.
2. Autonomous
Receptionists, especially in clinics are very busy and can often be found multi-tasking. An added interaction will be diffcult for them to do. The new solution should not require them to engage with it again and again.
3. Inclusivity
As of 2017, not everyone in India owned a smartphone and mobile internet package were still not affordable for everyone. The new solution should include everyone despite their tech-saviness.
4. Support multiple doctors
Multiple doctors in clinics and hospitals can consult at the same time. The new solutions should be adaptable and workable for multiple doctors.
IDEATION
Exploring different solutions
Idea 1: SMS reminder when a patient is next
⛔️ Why we did not select this?
Despite the fact that it is easy to implement (1-2 days) and is inclusive of patients who don’t have an internet connection; the idea does not provide real-time status.
Idea 2: SMS link with real-time status
⛔️ Why we did not select this?
It provides real time-status and is easy to implement (1 week) but it not inclusve of patients who do not have an internet connection.
Idea 3: Televisions to show queue and wait time
✅ Why we selected this idea?
The idea provides real-time status and is inclusive of all patients despite their tech-saviness. Further, it provides opportunity to advertise, entertain and educate patients.
LOW-FIDELITY DESIGNS
Exploring different layout structures
HIGH-FIDELITY DESIGNS
Final designs and design rationale
Creating scalable content
Connects with DocOn EMR App to display Ads and content set by the doctor. Also displays entertaining content like Trivia Quizzes, Health Tips, etc.
1. Notice board meant to take patient's attention so as to keep them engage in order to reduce the percieved wait time. It displays Quizzes and Ads set by clinics/ hospitals.
2. Ticker encompasses docon branding, date & time and live ticker. The purpose of ticker is to display secondary content over and over.
Interface on EMR Doctor App to push content to DocOn TV
Connects with DocOn EMR App to display Ads and content set by the doctor. Also displays entertaining content like Trivia Quizzes, Health Tips, etc.
1. Notice board meant to take patient's attention so as to keep them engage in order to reduce the percieved wait time. It displays Quizzes and Ads set by clinics/ hospitals.
2. Ticker encompasses DocON branding, date & time and live ticker. The purpose of ticker is to display secondary content over and over.
RESULTS
How DocOn TV was received by hospitals
700+
Hospitals using it
98%
operational time
While it can not be quantified, we also saw a lot of behavioral changes in the patients that led to an overall better waiting experience:
• New Patients would automatically go to Receptionist for check in since they now want their names on the TV.
• The next patient would automatically get ready for the consultation.
• No queues around Reception asking for wait times.
• A lot of patients were engaging with the quizzes, thus reducing the perceived wait time.
• Receptionists now had more time to focus on other aspects of managing a hospital/clinic.