Patients requests

Problem

General Practitioners (GPs) and their secretaries in Italy face significant challenges managing patient requests:

  • Overwhelming workload: GPs and secretaries are inundated with requests, both in-person and online.

  • Inefficient request management: Patients often submit requests through multiple channels (WhatsApp, email, Doctoralia app), making it difficult for secretaries to organize and categorize them.

  • Lack of clarity: Patients frequently submit requests without specifying the correct type, requiring additional work from secretaries.

  • High patient volume: GPs often manage thousands of patients, making it challenging to keep up with requests.

Docplanner’s opportunity

Docplanner aims to streamline the patient request process and enhance the overall experience for both GPs and patients. By simplifying request categorization and management, the company can:

  • Reduce GP and secretary workload: Automate routine tasks and optimize workflows.

  • Improve patient satisfaction: Provide a seamless and efficient request submission process.

  • Increase customer acquisition and retention: Differentiate Docplanner from competitors by offering a superior user experience.

Design process

To address these challenges, I embarked on a design process that involved:

  1. Opportunity Identification and Prioritization:

    • We utilized an Opportunity Solution Tree to map out potential solutions and prioritize the most impactful ones. This helped us focus our efforts on the areas that would deliver the greatest benefits to users.

  2. User Research:

    • Continued Conducted interviews with GPs and secretaries to understand their pain points and workflow.

    • Observed patient interactions to identify opportunities for improvement.

  3. Ideation and Prototyping:

    • Generated multiple design concepts to explore different solutions.

    • Created low-fidelity prototypes to test ideas with users.

  4. Iterative Design:

    • Refine designs based on user feedback and testing.

    • Collaborated with cross-functional teams to ensure alignment and integration with other products.

Impact and Future Directions:

The implemented solution has significantly reduced the workload for GPs and secretaries, improved patient satisfaction, and contributed to increased user acquisition and retention. While the initial focus was on request management, future iterations will explore further integration with other healthcare systems and expand the scope of the platform.

By addressing the challenges faced by GPs and patients, Docplanner is making a positive impact on the healthcare industry and solidifying its position as a leading healthcare technology provider.

Key Design Considerations:

  • Simplified Request Categorization: Provide clear and intuitive options for patients to select the type of request.

  • Omnichannel Support: Integrate multiple channels (WhatsApp, email, app) into a unified platform.

  • Efficient Workflow Management: Streamline the process for secretaries to triage and assign requests.

  • Real-time Communication: Enable direct and timely communication between GPs and patients.