Healthcare Institute- Website Redesigned & Appointment Booking Feature
My client owns a Digestive Disease Super Specialty Hospital in Maharashtra, India. The existing website was informative and was receiving traffic trying to connect to the institute. However, it lacked interactive elements to engage with the audience. I helped Antrang Super Specialty Hospital redesign its existing website and make it functional, engaging, and interactive, keeping in mind the target audience's mindset. I worked on Information architecture, created a CMS, and added the "Online appointment booking" feature to the website.
Client
Antrang Super Speciality Hospital
Date
October 5, 2023
Role
Product Designer

My Location:

Remote

I Worked on :

User Research | UX Design | UI Design | Information Architecture | Interaction Design | CMS |

Tools:

Figma | Excel Sheet | Flock | Wordpress

Collaborated:

Developer | Project Manager

Research

Three target audiences are visiting the website: 1. Patients 2. Patient relatives 3. Doctors and 4. Antrang Hospital Staff/Service Providers.

To understand the focus group's needs, I conducted user research revealing that-

  1. OPD visits had hours of waiting, so the hospital was overcrowded.
  2. Patients with severe health complications faced information anxiety when they turned to Google to explore more.
  3. Receptionists juggled multiple tasks, and doctors struggled to plan their time.
  4. Google Analytics of old websites generated much traffic to Doctors' and Contact Us pages.
  5. New doctors willing to be part of Antrang Super Speciality Hospital got information about openings in news paper or through word of mouth or by visiting a local medical institute.

Challenges & Solutions

Challenge: Organizing the site map and using the correct terminology for easy accessibility was challenging. The site map should help the users navigate the website quickly, but it includes a long but essential list that provides doctors info about departments, procedures, diseases, facilities, careers, and blogs.

Solution: To address this, I conducted a closed-ended card-sorting workshop with approximately three groups. I provided a set of cards that included options from the old site map to categorize on whiteboards. This exercise helped in three ways

1. Use the correct terminology for center groups like Health and Condition instead of Diseases, combining treatment and procedures.

2. Creating the proper categorization and

3. Focusing on the crucial list. 

We added a secondary navigation based on user testing that focused on healthcare workers, including careers and publications. Additionally, I incorporated a "Call to Action" to allow users to book appointments easily. 

Challenge: The next challenge was to gather content and design a content management system for easy developer access and to help users avoid information overload.

Solution: For the users willing to find information on "Procedures" or "Health and Conditions," I structured the data, which can help users avoid getting overwhelmed. I used interactive elements where needed, like a collapsible section or accordion, to assist them in finding the correct information by hiding unnecessary information. I also added a sticky sub-navigation feature so users can quickly jump to the section they need without having to scroll, and I created infographics to help users understand any complex data.


Challenge: Booking appointments was time-consuming, requiring meetings with doctors to create a timely schedule. Additionally, the hospital was updating several things and had just started using a new application for patient profiles, reports, lab results, and pharmacy prescriptions. The initial plan was to merge this application onto the website for patients to book appointments. However, the application was not cloud-based and ran on a local server. 

Solution: To address this, patients can now make appointments by clicking on the "Request an Appointment" CTA and selecting the desired date/time and doctor using a plugin connected to the email account created specifically for appointments. The email calendar will block the slots, so the receptionist doesn't have to do it manually.

Idea and Execution

After overcoming various challenges at different levels, I implemented the findings in my designs and went back and forth before adding branding elements to the websites.

Later, I  presented to the stakeholders the positive impact the institute will face after adding and making changes to the existing website. The presentation included a walk-through website demonstration to the stakeholders, using a user journey on a prototype I created. The result was a clear product direction and roadmap aligned with the company's business goals and a solid foundation for future product development.

Results

After the website's launch, receptionists focused on inviting patients and making them feel comfortable rather than attending to too many things at a time. Patients can now book appointments effortlessly without being bothered by the first come, first serve rule. The hospital is not overcrowded, and patients and relatives get space to sit. Doctors can plan personal things based on how many patients they will see in the next few days. If patients or relatives have doubts, the doctors recommend visiting the website for more information. Doctors are enthusiastic about writing and posting case studies on the publications page, as many healthcare workers from other institutes have been interested in visiting it.

This case study is published by UX Bootcamp on Medium. View