My role: UX Designer
Duration: September 2022 - November 2022
Team: Marcela (UX Designer), Derek (Project Manager)
Tools: Figma, Miro, Tailwind UI Kit
Project Context
PatientStudio is an all-in-one practice management solution that helps small healthcare practices, such as therapists, streamline their operations and improve the efficiency of their workflows. The platform is designed to be user-friendly and intuitive, making it easy for providers and front desk staff to manage billing, scheduling, and patient records all in one place.
Recently, front desk staff has reported challenges in efficiently completing payments and charges due to a lack of convenient methods in the current design. To address this issue and improve the user experience, my fellow design intern and I were tasked with finding a solution that allows for easy and convenient payment and charge processing within the app.
Understanding Our Users
I first conducted my own user testing to gain a better understanding of our product. To focus my efforts, I divided the testing into three areas: making a charge, taking a payment, and collecting payment. This allowed me to identify any major issues in each of these individual areas. I created a user journey based on my personal use of the product.
Analyzing the Issue
After consulting with our project manager about the issue at hand, Marcela and I began a thorough investigation of the problem. During our discussions, several questions arose that we needed to consider as we worked towards a solution:
Light bulb! 💡
That's when it became clear to us: we could manage charges and payments via a check-in feature!
The current design lacked a process for checking in patients. Patients currently come into the practice, pay either upfront or afterwards, and then leave without a formal check-in process. Implementing a check-in feature could serve as a "to-do" list for the user and ensure that all necessary information and documents are collected from the patient during their visit.
Essentially, users would make charges when booking an appointment, and those charges would be paid during the check-in/out process.
User Flows
To better understand the user experience with a check-in feature, we developed user flows that outline the steps users would take when using the feature. There were three primary flows to consider: checking in self-pay patients, checking in insured patients, and a separate check-out process for practices that prefer post-service payment. These flows allowed us to visualize and optimize the user journey with the check-in feature.
Designs
Through daily meetings with the project manager and developers, we explored and refined a number of designs until we arrived at a final version that incorporated all necessary requirements.
Overview Screen
The appointment overview screen is the first step in the check-in process when a user clicks on a patient's appointment in the calendar. This screen provides essential information about the patient's appointment, including details about the appointment, the patient's current balance, any prepaid sessions, and insurance information. By gathering all of this information before the patient sees the provider, the user can ensure a smooth and efficient check-in process and provide the best possible care to the patient.
Payments Screen
I also made significant updates to the payment page, including a new layout and improved functionality. The previous design of the payment page was somewhat confusing, as it was unclear what the patient was being charged for, the total amount of their charges, and when those charges were incurred. We've made improvements to the payment page in the new design, making it easy for patients to see exactly what they owe to the practice and allowing them to select or deselect specific charges. This added transparency and control should make the payment process more straightforward and user-friendly.
Final Design (for now..)
Challenges
There were many challenges that we faced during this project. One of the greatest challenges we faced was the limited availability of resources for conducting thorough user research, particularly within our main demographic of front desk staff at small practices who often lacked the time for user interviews or remote observation.
Another challenge we faced was the complexity of the billing process, which required careful consideration of various flows and scenarios. As we worked to improve the design, we made several updates and added new features to ensure a seamless and efficient billing experience. Some things also did not go to plan, and we were unable to fully design the check-out process that was initially part of the flow.
What I Learned
It was certainly a challenging project, given the complexity and scope of the check-in feature. However, it was a valuable learning opportunity as I gained a greater understanding of the expectations and needs of project managers and developers, as well as how to effectively collaborate with them. Additionally, I gained a deeper knowledge of the inner workings of healthcare insurance and its various components.
Overall, it was a rewarding and enriching experience as my first major project during my first internship!