AppointRx

Overview

Problem

Managing healthcare through various independent healthcare providers is tough.

Healthcare mangement should but isn't easy for patients who visit independent healthcare providers. The varied approaches of going to many independent practices can make it challenging for patients to receive consistent care. People face difficulties managing appointments, prescriptions, and medical records for multiple doctors.

Goals

Simplify healthcare management, enhance patient experience, and improve accessibility across independent practices.

Provide a centralized platform for easy scheduling and communication, prescription tracking, and access to medical records.
Ensure a user-friendly interface and seamless communication with healthcare providers.
Enable patients to manage their healthcare across multiple independent practices efficiently.

Research

Surveys & Interviews with Patients and Healthcare Workers

Patients require a centralized platform for appointment management, prescription tracking, medical record access, and doctor communication.

I surveyed and interviewed patients who go to independent healthcare providers, healthcare workers, and individuals who go to health maintenance organizations.

I found that over 90% of patients that go to independent practices would like a centralized platform to manage their healthcare.
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Common challenges faced by patients at independent practices include:
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Coordinating appointments across practices is challenging due to varied scheduling systems, compounded by time constraints and phone anxiety.
Managing prescriptions from multiple providers is difficult, leading to confusion about medications and refills.
Obtaining medical records is difficult as each practice has its own system, hindering patients' ability to access their health history easily.
Difficulty in reaching providers for questions leads to misunderstandings.

Interview with a Doctor

Challenges to the adoption of a centralized platform include time, money, security, and awareness. But there are means to combat the challenges and turn them into benefits.

There has not been a centralized platform because:

maintaining such an app requires time, expertise, and financial investment, which may be challenging for older providers and smaller practices.
integrating different systems and ensuring data security and compliance with healthcare regulations can be complex and costly.
a lack of awareness/understanding among healthcare providers about the benefits of an app for enhancing patient care and convenience

Despite these challenges, exploring solutions and collaborating with other healthcare stakeholders could help address this gap, improve the overall patient experience, and encourage more visits to the doctor.

Comparative Analysis

The Competition

To effectively position my app, I examined the landscape of healthcare management apps, focusing on popular solutions like Kaiser Permanente, Elaton Passport, and MyChart. By analyzing their strengths and weaknesses, I identified opportunities to enhance AppointRx to better serve patients and healthcare providers. I found that these features are needed:

Accessibility for independent practices for patients to manage all of their care under one profile
User-friendly Interface with easy to understand language
Features for users such as appointments, prescriptions, medical records, and communication with providers
User privacy and Security for doctors and patients

Design

Wireframes

Mid-Fi

High-Fi

Style Tile

Select Iterations

After user feedback I made changes to enhance the overall experience by refining usability, improving functionality, and addressing key pain points.

Solution

Login and Making an Appointment

If not already logged in, users will need to sign in and complete two-factor authentication to ensure their privacy is protected.
After logging in, users are brought to the home page where they can view their upcoming appointments. From there, they can navigate to the scheduling screen to make and manage their appointments

Based on user research, the appointment-making process is designed for a straightforward and intuitive experience without the need for phone calls. Users can quickly log in, navigate to the "Schedules" tab, and schedule appointments with ease. Clear steps guide them through selecting the provider, choosing a convenient date and time, and providing a reason for their visit. The app allows users to finalize appointments effortlessly and access upcoming appointments for easy rescheduling or cancellation, addressing the core needs of simplicity and efficiency identified in my research.

Refilling a Prescription

Navigate to the "Pharmacy" tab, select your prescription, and follow a guided process for quick refill requests without phone calls.
Stay informed with timely updates and confirmations from AppointRx after submitting your refill request, ensuring a seamless user experience.

Just like the appointment process, refilling prescriptions with AppointRx is designed to be hassle-free, eliminating the need for phone calls. Users can easily navigate to the "Pharmacy" tab from the home screen or navigation bar to view their current prescriptions. Selecting a prescription prompts a simple-guided refill request process. The app verifies details and sends requests to the pharmacy, providing timely notifications for updates or confirmations. This ensures users manage prescriptions efficiently, meeting their needs for simplicity and convenience, as identified in user research.

Messaging and Checking Charts

The messages are formatted like a messenger app rather than email to facilitate quick and direct communication, akin to familiar consumer messaging platforms, ensuring prompt responses and enhancing user engagement in a healthcare context.
Charts include a summary from the doctor that patients can easily understand, along with the option to view detailed lab files if desired.

Projected Impact, Metrics, and Revenue Model

Though AppointRx is currently a concept, it's designed with real-world needs in mind. Here's how it could make a difference and generate revenue:

Fewer Missed Appointments: The user-friendly scheduling and reminder system could reduce missed appointments by 70-80%.
Quicker Prescription Refills: Simplifying the refill process could save users up to 70% of the time they currently spend managing prescriptions.
High Satisfaction: We anticipate an 85-90% user satisfaction rate, thanks to the app’s focus on ease of use.
Regular Engagement: Users might interact with the app 2-3 times a week, making it a go-to tool for healthcare management.

AppointRx could earn through:

Pharmacy Partnerships: Earning commissions from prescriptions filled through the app.
Integration Fees: Charging independent practices to sync their systems with AppointRx.

With these strategies, AppointRx has the potential to improve healthcare management and sustain itself financially.

Reflection

Reflecting on this project, I'm pleased with developing a system that enhances patient access to healthcare. Given more time, I would expand to include a website version for doctors to securely manage patient data, integrating with the app to improve collaboration and patient care outcomes. I believe in the necessity of such apps in healthcare, inspired by the success of systems like Kaiser. These technologies significantly improve patient access and healthcare experiences. Independent practices could similarly benefit, helping patients manage appointments, medications, and communication effectively.

I learned that simplifying designs is crucial for accessibility and usability:

Clear and straightforward designs reduce confusion and make information easier to understand.
Simple interfaces make tasks efficient, allowing users to achieve goals quickly and with minimal effort.
Easy-to-understand designs cater to diverse audiences, including those with varying levels of tech familiarity.
Intuitive layouts and interactions encourage prolonged engagement and return visits, ultimately enhancing the user experience and ensuring widespread accessibility.