USC TeleCARE App

Improving the digital patient care experience for virtual doctor visits

Project type

Full-time employed

Team

Content Writer
Project Manager
Developers
Stakeholders

My role

UX Research
UI Design
Animation

Tools

Figma
Illustrator
After Effects
Photoshop

Duration

4 weeks

Overview

Background

Keck Medicine of USC is the University of Southern California’s medical enterprise, one of only two university-based medical systems in the Los Angeles area.

The USC TeleCARE app creates a virtual doctor visit, securely connecting patients with renowned Keck Medicine of USC physicians.

The Challenge

Keck Medicine of USC patients want easy access to virtual visits with their provider. As the demand for digital patient care grows, some users are experiencing technical difficulties connecting to their provider through the USC TeleCARE app.

The Task

The current virtual waiting room does not provide clear instructions on how to prepare for a virtual doctor visit. The task is to enhance the UX/UI of the USC TeleCARE app virtual waiting room to help patients connect with their doctors. ‍

Empathize

A man opens the USC TeleCARE app on his phone

Research Goals

I conducted research to learn how USC TeleCARE fits into the patient care journey, and what pain points users are experiencing.

UX Research Methodologies

Analysis of public patient volume data

Analysis of patient reviews and feedback

Meetings with internal with stakeholders

Key insights from public data

In 2020 Keck Medicine of USC expanded its telemedicine services to keep patients and health care workers safe amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Early in the pandemic, virtual visits increased by about 9,000%, from 300 to 400 per year, to 700 to 1,000 telemedicine clinic visits each week.

Pandemic Insight #1

Average number of telemedicine clinic visits each week

850

Source: Public data from Keck Medicine of USC

Pandemic Insight #2

Percentage of patients checking-in for a virtual visit with their doctors

86%

Source: Public data from Keck Medicine of USC

Pandemic Insight #3

Number of Keck Medicine clinics offering virtual visits

114

Source: Public data from Keck Medicine of USC

What I learned

The pandemic accelerated the shift towards digital patient care access at Keck Medicine of USC.

Key insights

During the early days of the pandemic, many patients were worried about going to hospital or clinic in-person.

Thousands of patients began using the USC TeleCARE app for the first time.

Today, demand has lowered, but many patients continue to use USC TeleCARE to recieve flexible, time-saving, convenient and secure access to their health care team.

A middle-aged woman using her cell phone at home

Define

Analysis of patient reviews

I examined negative patient reviews on the Apple App Store and Google Play Store to identify the pain points and frustrations of users.

Key Insights

57% of negative comments were related to confusion with how to use the app.

Many of the technical difficulties users experienced could be prevented by changing the settings on their mobile device.

Design Opportunity

Update the virtual waiting room instructions to make them more user friendly and easy to understand.

Atomic Finding #1

Fact (what we heard): "Extremely confusing hectic and time consuming for first time user and not sawy technical oriented people. I believe strongly it could be much more easier to use."
- Ray Mirghanbari (Google Play Store Review)

Insight (what we learned):Many patients are doing virtual doctor visits for the first time, and the process can be confusing and frustrating.

Opportunity (how we can improve):Make the the app and instructions easy to understand for first time users.
‍

Atomic Finding #3

Fact (what we heard): "There needs to be a mute your microphone while you're in the waiting room for privacy. Also rejoining when you loose connection needs major work. After 5 links and 15 minutes, we gave up and went to phone call."
- Harry Bussmann (Google Play Store Review)

Insight (what we learned):Users are frustrated and confused by the virtual waiting room experience.

Opportunity (how we can improve):Provide clearer instructions on volume control and how to reconnect if the call drops.
‍

Atomic Finding #2

Fact (what we heard): "I'm an elderly senior and this is so difficult for me to access the app properly!"
- Melvin qualls (Google Play Store Review)

Insight (what we learned):The current app and meeting instructions are confusing for senior users

Opportunity (how we can improve):Simplify the check-in process and meeting instructions to make it easier to understand.
‍

Atomic Finding #4

Fact (what we heard):"Because of the update my Macbook is not compatiple with the app. There needs to be better updates so I don't have to use my phone when I have a telemed call with my doctor."
- User review (Apple App Store)
‍

Insight (what we learned):Users want flexibility on how to connect with their doctor.

Opportunity (how we can improve):Provide clear instructions on how to connect on a computer or smart phone.
‍

Patient Journey Map

I created a journey map to illustrate the USC TeleCARE patient care journey

Stakeholder Interviews

I met with internal stakeholders to learn about the business goals and technical considerations.

Key Business goals

Reduce lost revenue due to no-shows, late appointments and dropped connections

Increase patient satisfaction

Technical considerations

I discovered some key challenges after meeting with internal stakeholders:

USC TeleCARE is built on a third party platform with limited customization

Use of video files incur a data fee of $5,000 per upload

Venn diagram showing business goals, user goals and technical considerations

Design Opportunity

After meeting with internal stakeholders, I discovered that the instructions currently provided for USC TeleCARE were in a PDF format.

Key Insights

The current instructions are not compatible with the app or optimized for iOS and Android, and must be sent to users as a separate email

The multi-page format of the current instructions is not user friendly

How we can improve

Provide user friendly, in app instructions that users can view while waiting for their doctor.

Prototype

Tiny File, Big Impact

It was essential to make sure that the animation loads quickly. After creating an initial prototype, I optimized the file to reduce the size (-75%) and increased load speed (+275%).

Animated welcome screen for virtual doctor visit

Animation showing how to enable camera and microphone permissions

Using motion to guide users

I created simple animations to provide a clear guide on how to best prepare for a virtual doctor visit.

Maximizing compatibility

The waiting room animation was designed for compatibility across iOS, Android and desktop devices, and can show to users within the app on any device.

Animation showing how to connect to USC TeleCARE on a desktop computer

Animation showing wifi and cell phone bars

Saving money for the organization

By creating an optimized file compatible with the app, I helped save Keck Medicine, $5,000 in data fees each time the instructions need to be adjusted.

Next Steps

What I Learned

Key insights from the project

Keck Medicine of USC patients want easy access to virtual visits with their provider, but some patients are struggling with how to access their provider through the USC TeleCARE app

The health system has an opportunity to improve the UX/UI of its digital products to meet the growing demand for digital patient care.

Challenges

The absence of an existing UX Research Repository limited the amount of available research.

Lack of frequent communication with developers caused delays in the handoff process.

Next steps

The next step is to measure the impact of the updated virtual waiting room experience over time.

Success Metrics and KPIs

Decreased error rate (less support calls and emails about technical challenges)

Increased user satisfaction(decrease in negative reviews)

Reduce cost< $5k per update to the UI animation

Want to discuss this project?
I'd be happy to connect with you!

Designsbykhari@gmail.com linkedin.com/in/khariscott

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Screenshots of SOS Media Store Mobile Website

USC TeleCARE App

Project type

Team

My role

Tools

Duration

Overview

Background

The Challenge

The Task

Empathize

Research Goals

UX Research Methodologies

Key insights from public data

What I learned

Key insights

Define

Analysis of patient reviews

Key Insights

Design Opportunity

Patient Journey Map

Stakeholder Interviews

Key Business goals

Technical considerations

Design Opportunity

Key Insights

How we can improve

Ideate

Sketches

Storyboard

Prototype

Tiny File, Big Impact

Using motion to guide users

Maximizing compatibility

Saving money for the organization

Next Steps

What I Learned

Key insights from the project

Challenges

Next steps

Success Metrics and KPIs

Want to discuss this project? I'd be happy to connect with you!

View next case study →

Want to discuss this project?
I'd be happy to connect with you!