Enhancing the Healthcare Portal Experience
Addressing Usability, Privacy, and Efficiency
Healthcare portals serve a diverse range of users, yet many struggle with complex navigation, privacy concerns, and inefficient appointment booking.
This case study explores three key challenges improving user experience, safeguarding sensitive information, and streamlining appointment scheduling to create a more intuitive and accessible healthcare portal for all users.
User Observations
Based on observations of friends and family interacting with their healthcare portals, I identified key user needs and pain points. These insights informed my design decisions to enhance usability and accessibility.
Name | Needs | Pain Points | Quote |
|---|---|---|---|
Tom R | A system that allows him to easily find and book followup appointments with the same provider. | Struggles with rebooking after an initial visit because the system doesn’t remember his preferences. | “Why do I have to enter all my information again just to book a followup with the same doctor?” |
Kelly N | A frictionless way to book same day urgent care appointments | Gets overwhelmed by too many choices and unclear availability. | “I need to see a doctor today, but I can’t tell which locations have open slots.” |
Emily C | To check her children’s medical records while occasionally having others around. | Worries about accidentally exposing private information when viewing lab results in public places. | “I was in a coffee shop when I opened the portal, and my son’s lab results were right there on the screen.” |
User Survey
In addition to observing user interactions, I conducted a survey asking participants to identify their top and bottom three reasons for accessing their healthcare portal. After analyzing the responses, I categorized the findings to further inform my design decisions.
Top Reasons for Logging In
The top reasons users logged in were either to book or managing an appointment, check medical records, or pay a bill. This provided me insight on what elements a landing page should have for a positive user experience.
Bottom Reasons for Logging In
User insights revealed that announcements and health articles are not a priority when accessing the healthcare portal. This finding is crucial for designing a landing page that balances user experience with business objectives. While health-related content is better suited for the hospital’s main website, key announcements should remain within the portal to ensure users have access to important information, even if they are not actively seeking it.
Empathy Mapping
To design an intuitive and user-friendly healthcare portal, it was essential to understand the thoughts, feelings, and behaviors of the people using it. This empathy map is based on user observations, survey insights, and persona development, highlighting key pain points and motivations.
By analyzing what users say, think, feel, and do when interacting with healthcare portals, I uncovered opportunities to improve navigation, enhance privacy, and simplify appointment booking. This framework ensures that design decisions are grounded in real user experiences, leading to a more accessible and efficient portal for all.
Say | Think | Do | Feel |
|---|---|---|---|
“I need to see a doctor today, but I can’t figure out which locations have open slots.” | “I hope I don’t have to call customer support just to book an appointment | Avoid using certain features altogether due to complexity. | Confusion: Unsure where to click or how to complete a task. |
“I don’t want my private information to pop up when I’m getting help.” | “What if I accidentally show sensitive information while getting help?” | Ask a family member for help navigating the portal. | Concern: Worried about privacy when sharing their screen. |
“I just need to check my records, but everything is buried under so many menus.”
“I want to book an appointment, but I keep getting distracted by unnecessary steps.”
| “This website wasn’t designed with me in mind.” | Get frustrated and switch to calling a support line. | Frustration: Overwhelmed by too many options or steps. |
User Flow
This user flow outlines the key steps a patient takes to accomplish their goals, from logging in to booking an appointment, viewing medical records, or managing payments.
This flow also highlights strategic design decisions that enhance usability, improve accessibility, and support diverse user needs, ultimately leading to a more streamlined and user-friendly healthcare experience.
An "Important Announcements" section provides users with at-a-glance updates on necessary actions and location-specific information. Although it is the least desired element for consumers, it is important on the business side to share this information.
Research indicates that most users log into the patient portal for six primary reasons: scheduling or managing appointments, paying bills, or refilling prescriptions. Secondary tasks are accessible within the portal to enhance user experience.
Based on eye-tracking analysis, the most common user flow follows an F-pattern. To streamline navigation, the “Appointments” card is centrally placed, with the “Pay Bills” option adjacent to it. This prioritization ensures one of the two key actions is taken first.
Summary
This case study highlights the importance of user-centered design in healthcare portals, addressing three key challenges: improving usability, safeguarding sensitive information, and streamlining appointment booking. Through user observations, surveys, and strategic design decisions, I created solutions that enhance accessibility, efficiency, and security for a diverse range of users.
By simplifying navigation, implementing privacy-conscious design elements, and optimizing the appointment scheduling process, the proposed solutions ensure a more intuitive and seamless experience.
These insights demonstrate the value of balancing user needs with business goals, ultimately improving engagement and satisfaction.
Effective UX/UI design in healthcare goes beyond aesthetics, it empowers users, enhances trust, and
improves overall healthcare accessibility.