As an unexpected caregiver, organizing medical records became vital. Increasing visits to different physicians resulted in a growing pile of documents, necessitating larger binders. This led to more weight and disorganization. Many Americans with chronic diseases face the same challenge of finding a secure, shareable, and user-friendly storage system for tracking their health information. To address this, I decided to create a conceptual solution—a "digital binder" app. This app allows users to easily store, sort, print, view, and share documents with physicians, aiming to revolutionize patient-physician communication. The goal is to bridge the gap between creating a secure digital storage ecosystem within the app and supporting users in improving their real-life health.
According to the Pew Research Center, 45% of U.S. adults have chronic diseases, with 80% of those individuals tracking their health information. In contrast, 61% of adults without chronic conditions track their health to some extent, resulting in a significant number of "trackers" (230 million) in the U.S.
However, the majority rely on paper or memory rather than using apps or websites for tracking. The issue at hand goes beyond tracking and storage and is primarily a communication problem, with different medical facilities utilizing different electronic storage systems. Competitors such as Google Drive, Evernote, WorkFlowy, HealthVault, CareZone, and Kaiser offer their own advantages and disadvantages.
Problem: Patients lack a standardized communication system for efficient document management, leading to difficulties in effectively coordinating with their medical teams. The absence of a universal web portal, website, or app for seamless communication exacerbates the problem, as different medical facilities utilize disparate systems, further complicating the process.
According to the Pew Research Center 45% of U.S. adults live with chronic disease. Among them, 80% with at least one condition track their health information. In comparison, 61% of adults living without a chronic condition track some aspect of their health.
A chronic condition increases the probability that someone will track their health more rigorously but only a few use apps or websites (14%), with most relying on paper (43%) or memory (41%). Although seventy-two percent of trackers say tracking has had an impact on their health, many still overlook the importance of technology.
Curious about the prevalence of the problems, I aimed to determine if this was a niche problem or a common concern among all caregivers and patients. I conducted interviews with physicians I visited, engaged with patients I encountered, and extensively analyzed relevant blogs and forums to gain insight into their frustrations, obstacles, fears, desires, and requirements.
The problem at hand extends beyond a mere storage system and affects both caregivers and patients. It is primarily a communication problem rather than solely a storage problem.
Without a standardized communication system in place, patients face challenges in effectively managing their documents. Patients dont have a universal web portal, website or app where they could communicate with their medical team. This issue is compounded by the fact that various medical facilities employ different systems, further complicating matters.
In the realm of competition, options such as Google Drive, Evernote, WorkFlowy, HealthVault, CareZone, and Kaiser exist. However, many individuals are unaware of the existence of most apps and websites that could potentially address this problem.
Additionally, these platforms suffer from outdated user interfaces, poor user experiences, and usability issues. Although electronic storage systems are already available, they fail to meet patient expectations and overlook the core problem. Nonetheless, users are willing to invest in a premium version of a solution that offers easier and more secure document tracking and sharing.
From my research, I identified six competitors: Google Drive, Evernote, WorkFlowy, HealthVault, CareZone and Kaiser.
Having multiple competitors offers the advantage of learning from their mistakes. Firstly, many of these apps overlook the issue of communication and sharing between patients and physicians. Secondly, pricing is often a concern. Lastly, there is a lack of incentives to attract doctors to their platforms.
While Google Drive (GDrive) offers important features for patients, it lacks tailored patient-physician communication capabilities. Sharing options are limited to having the physician's email, which doctors may be hesitant to provide. Another similar platform lacks the necessary functionality to handle sensitive medical records and requires payment for certain features.
Although a project management website can manage medical records, it is not user-friendly and faces limitations in sharing with physicians due to its non-free nature. HealthVault, a digital document storage competitor, aimed to enhance patient-physician sharing but is no longer available.
CareZone, designed for the industry, focuses more on pharmacies and prescription medicines rather than document management. While Kaiser, an insurance provider, received positive feedback from interviewees, it requires "membership" for usage. These competitors provide valuable lessons for consideration.
To create a user-centered approach, user stories and user journey maps were developed for both personas, providing insights into their needs and expectations.
Both patients and physicians have their own needs and frustrations, as represented by Katy, a caregiver seeking a secure platform for storing and sharing medical documents, and Alexandra, a digital doctor open to using technology for the benefit of her patients but seeking clarity on how new platforms can benefit her.
MyHealth addresses physicians' concerns through separate account types for patients and physicians. Patients can upload and organize documents, while physicians can view authorized information and post content for followers. By adopting a social media format, MyHealth normalizes healthcare and enables easy information sharing, document organization, and team-building.
The user journey map ensures seamless navigation, emphasizing key tasks: creating an account, managing documents, building a trusted "MyTeam," and authorizing document access. The app's architecture includes tabs for Home, Notifications, Search, MyTeam, Documents, and Profile, with the MyTeam section serving as a central hub for communication and authorization.
Solution: The solution involves implementing a unified sharing information system, resembling social media, where patients can store and share medical information. It will enable seamless communication between patients and doctors, promoting healthcare professionals to patients. This system improves document management, enhances communication, and fosters collaboration within the healthcare ecosystem.
Taking the discovery phase information into account, I proceeded to develop personas for the key user groups: Patients/Caregivers and Physicians.
Katy, the Caregiver: Willing to organize her mother's medical records but needs a platform where she can safely store and share documents with her doctor. She wants to have ALL of her medical information in ONE PLACE.
Alexandra, the Digital Doctor: Willing to use new technology if it means easier life for her patients, but doesn't understand how a new platform benefits her. Although she wants uniformity of records, she doesn't want to leave the system she's used to.
To gain deeper insights into the needs and expectations of users, I created user stories and user journey maps for both personas. These tools helped me better understand their perspectives and experiences, allowing for a more user-centered approach in addressing their requirements.
To address physicians' concerns about a healthcare social media platform, two separate account types can be created: "Patient Account" and "Physician Account." Patients would have limited capabilities such as uploading and organizing their documents, while physicians would be able to view authorized patient information and post general content for their followers. By adopting a social media app format, MyHealth aims to normalize healthcare, making it easier for patients to share information, follow doctors, organize medical documents, and build a healthcare team. Additional features like a "MyTeam" section for patients to manage their healthcare team and a "Profile" section for physicians to showcase their expertise can be included.
The user journey map played a vital role in shaping and visualizing the interaction between two different user types, each with their own account types, within the app. The user journey map emphasized four key tasks that are essential when using the app: 1. creating an account, 2. adding and viewing documents, 3. creating a "MyTeam" of trusted professionals, and 4. authorizing document access.
To structure the app's architecture, I followed a similar structure as other social media apps, dividing MyHealth into six tabs: Home, Notifications, Search, MyTeam, Documents, and Profile.
The Home tab serves as a feed where physicians can post to their followers, who can view the posts. The Notifications tab provides updates on user actions. The Search tab allows users to find and authorize access to specific physicians and documents. The MyTeam tab showcases the people users are following and can authorize document access. The Documents tab functions as a digital binder for users to upload their medical documents. Lastly, the Profile tab allows users, primarily physicians, to add their personal information.
The MyTeam section is central to achieving better communication by connecting all other sections and allowing users to authorize document access. It works alongside the "Search" section to facilitate connections and collaboration within the app, enhancing communication and information sharing.
The account creation process involved a familiar interface with options for logging in or signing up, followed by a selection of patient or doctor and a corresponding questionnaire. Access to the app's features was granted upon completion.
Adding and viewing documents was made simple through the Documents tab, where users could name, associate with a doctor, and upload medical files. To establish teams, the Search tab allowed users to search for doctors, follow them, and send MyTeam invitations, enabling the sharing of medical information. Patients had control over authorizing document permissions for different doctors, ensuring privacy and security. I combined the MyTeam and Search tabs to streamline navigation and improve the user experience.
For legibility, I chose the Arial font, while the brand colors red and white were selected for their associations with healthcare. Additionally, I custom-designed icons for each tab to maintain a consistent visual identity. Finally, I implemented a structured logo design process, using key words and three-word compositions as stimuli for sketching ideas. During the development process of MyHealth, I utilized wireframes in Adobe XD to structure the app's architecture and ensure effective execution of the tasks outlined in my flow diagrams.
After discovering the problem and defining a solution, I began the development process by creating wireframes to structure the app's architecture. Using Adobe XD, I designed the app, focusing on how the architecture would effectively execute the tasks outlined in my flow diagrams.
With Jacob's Law in mind, MyHealth's account creation process resembles popular social media apps. Users can log in or sign up and choose their role as a patient or doctor. This choice determines the questionnaire they will receive. After completing the questions, users gain access to explore and utilize the app's features.
In MyHealth, users can easily add and manage documents in the "Add/View Documents" feature. They can upload files from their phone's gallery, camera, or storage, ensuring a streamlined process for document organization.
In MyHealth, you can create your team using the "MyTeam" feature in the Search tab. Search for the doctor's name, follow them, and send a MyTeam invitation. Following a doctor provides access to their posts, while accepting the MyTeam request enables the secure sharing of medical information. HIPAA compliance is ensured by attaching required documents with the invitation.
MyHealth prioritizes patient privacy by allowing document-specific permissions for doctors. Patients maintain control over who can access their medical records, granting different levels of access to each doctor. This granular control ensures privacy while enabling effective collaboration within the healthcare team.
After evaluating the app's structure, I merged the "MyTeam" and "Search" tabs to enhance intuitiveness and declutter the menu interface. This decision underwent three iterations, resulting in an improved user experience.
To ensure legibility, I used the "Arial" font for text in the app. Red and white were selected as brand colors to align with health associations. Additionally, I designed custom icons for the six main tabs to maintain visual consistency.
To streamline my logo design process, I used a structured approach based on key words, providing a clear framework for generating ideas. This method avoided the challenges of starting from scratch.
Firstly, I identified the three main goals or themes of the project, which in this case were "Healthcare," "Social Media," and "MyHealth." Next, I created a network map of related terms and objects associated with each theme. For instance, under "Healthcare," I listed "Doctors," "Heart," and "Vitals." With these words in hand, I proceeded to create three-word compositions such as "Siren, Blue, M.H.," "Binder, The Cloud, MyHealth," and "My, Health, Vitals." These compositions served as inspiration for sketching logo ideas based on the stimuli provided by the chosen words.
A high-fidelity prototype of the MyHealth app was created using Adobe XD, incorporating the information gathered during the discovery, definition, and development phases. This prototype serves as a visual representation of the solution, showcasing the various features and functionalities of the MyHealth app. Mockups were specifically designed to represent different user tasks, displaying the interactions and interfaces within the app. These mockups provide a tangible representation of the user experience, illustrating the navigation flow and visual aesthetics of the app's screens and functionalities.
A high-fidelity prototype of the MyHealth app was created using Adobe XD, incorporating the information gathered during the discovery, definition, and development phases. This prototype serves as a visual representation of the solution, showcasing the various features and functionalities of the MyHealth app.
Mockups were created to visually represent the different user tasks. Using design tools like Adobe XD, the mockups were developed to showcase the specific interactions and interfaces related to each task within the MyHealth app. These mockups provide a tangible representation of how users will navigate through the app, demonstrating the user flow and visual aesthetics of the various screens and functionalities.
1. The importance of having a design process.
2. Logo Design: This was my first logo design and following a structed approach helped me come up with different types of ideas.
3. After speaking with front desk nurses, I got the idea of adding a "Facility" account. This account would help doctors by allowing them to post information to their patients. Also, they would be able to organize, edit, delete and add information to the doctors profile. But, they would not be able to view the patient's records.
