DESIGN IN HEALTH CARE: Creating a better patient-centered experience

DESIGN IN HEALTH CARE:Creating a better patient-centered experience.

33

Patch Leishman Design in Health Care Spring 2014

33


Don’t use words too big for the subject. Don’t say infinitely when you mean very; otherwise you’ll have no word left when you want to talk about something really infinite.

C.S. LEWIS

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Informational research diagram

55


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edic

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orm

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per

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le

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nt

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was

th

e o

ver

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fav

ori

te a

mo

ng

st s

urv

eyo

rs i

n m

y E

xper

imen

t II

Mu

se g

ave

me

a ea

sy w

ay t

o i

mp

lem

ent

my

des

ign

in

to a

rea

l htm

l exp

erie

nce

.

“Usa

bil

ity

Tes

tin

g o

n 1

0 C

ents

a D

ay”

Cre

atin

g a

qu

ick

usa

bil

ity

tes

t u

sin

g

Qu

altr

ics

allo

wed

me

to m

ake

sure

my

in

ten

tio

ns

wer

e b

ein

g s

ho

wn

th

rou

gh

.

Co

nte

nt

dev

elo

pm

ent

Fin

aliz

atio

n

Pre

sen

t p

roje

ct

reflect on research

May - AprilApril - Janurary June - May

“To

war

d a

Sci

ence

of

Sim

pli

city

” G

eorg

e W

hit

esid

es T

ED

tal

k

Ore

go

n S

tate

Un

iver

sity

’s o

nli

ne

dat

abas

e le

ads

me

to:

Des

ign

fo

r C

are:

In

no

vat

ing

th

e H

ealt

h C

are

Ex

per

ien

ce

Pet

er J

on

es

Fre

e w

rite

sib

auh

au5

.tu

mb

lr.c

om

Init

ial s

earc

hin

g le

ads

me

to:

Inte

rvie

ws

Dr.

Mar

k R

amp

ton

Dr.

Ram

pto

n t

hin

ks

the

hea

lth

car

e in

du

stry

is

hea

din

g t

ow

ard

s a

loss

of

per

son

al

con

nec

tio

n. “

Th

e g

reat

th

ing

ab

ou

t a

go

od

h

eal

th c

are

exp

eri

en

ce is

th

e d

oct

or’

s co

nn

ect

ion

wit

h t

he

pat

ien

t.”

Res

earc

h p

aper

co

mp

lete

d!

Hea

lth

car

e ad

min

sA

dm

ins

ten

d t

o b

e re

sist

ant

to c

han

ge.

Ad

min

s ar

e in

cred

ibly

kn

ow

led

gab

le.

Res

earc

h b

egin

s -

Th

e f

ollo

win

g is

a lo

ok

at m

y r

ese

arch

pro

cess

an

d h

ow

I c

ame

to

my

fin

al p

roje

ct.

Inst

itu

te f

or

the

Fu

ture

Sim

ple

th

ing

s te

nd

to

w

ork

rea

lly w

ell.

We

reco

gn

ize

sim

pli

city

wh

en w

e se

e it

.

Co

ncl

usi

on

:In

ord

er

to i

nn

ov

ate

th

e h

eal

th c

are

in

du

stry

an

d

cre

ate

a b

ett

er

exp

eri

en

ce fo

r th

e p

atie

nt,

we

mu

st fi

rst

real

ize

a f

ew

th

ing

s:W

e a

re g

oin

g t

o b

e m

et

wit

h r

esi

stan

ce,

hav

e t

o t

ake

in

to a

cco

un

t th

e c

urr

en

t

infr

astr

uct

ure

, ne

ed

to

use

acc

ess

ible

an

d i

ntu

itiv

e d

esi

gn

, mu

st p

ut

the

pat

ien

t

at t

he

ce

nte

r, a

nd

we

hav

e t

o c

reat

e d

isco

urs

e a

mo

ng

all

stak

eh

old

ers

Pap

er d

om

inat

es b

ut

mo

sth

osp

ital

s p

lan

on

mer

gin

gto

clo

ud

bas

ed i

nfr

astr

uct

ure

.

Clo

ud

co

mp

uti

ng

Per

son

a cr

eati

on

hel

ps

me

un

der

stan

d t

he

use

r

To

re

ad m

y f

ull

the

sis,

an

d a

mo

re in

de

pth

loo

k at

my

pro

cess

vis

it m

y p

ort

folio

at:

PA

TC

HL

EIS

HM

AN

.CO

M

66


Understanding Health Care in America Spoiler alert: It’s complex.

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77


The health care industry is fraught with complicated processes that are inefficient, dated, and fail to deliver a positive patient-centered experience. Health care is also a cross disciplinary field which makes communication difficult.

So how can graphic designers effectively innovate the health care industry and thus create a better patient-centered experience? The first half of this book will address the current health care system in America, some of the barriers stopping a better patient experience, and how graphic designers can be better prepared to handle this exciting area of social design.

Health care in America is a complex infrastructure that employs millions of Americans, all of whom are trying to achieve one goal: provide health care services in order to create a healthier America. But how well are those services being delivered? Is the patient getting the best possible experience? Do we have the patient’s every need at the center of the decision-making process? What about the many administrative tasks that are involved in health care? Many of these tasks rely heavily on paper forms, which are costly and non sustainable.

Patient is notat the center ofthe healthcare experience

Can we as graphic designers use current technology trends to solve problems within the health care system? Can digital platforms help create innovation within the health care industry? I believe graphic designers can use their abilities to design a better patient-centered experience. Through a deep understanding of the patient, utilizing current technology, and embracing the entire health care infrastructure, we can create real lasting change, which can provide a better patient-centered experience. To understand how graphic designers can create a better patient-centered experience, we must become enlightened to what health care in America is like. To do so, we will begin by stepping into the shoes of Rachel.

INTROSPECTION

88


From the Perspective of a Patient

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99


Rachel is an everyday middle class American. She lives in San Francisco with

Rachel is an everyday middle class American. She lives in San Francisco with her family, a husband who works full-time, and works part-time herself to help pay their bills. One Friday, Rachel visited her endocrinology specialist. Rachel suffers from a thyroid problem; on this particular visit to her physician, lab work was recommended.

In the U.S., most physicians’ offices tend to do lab work their own way but in the case of Rachel, her doctor wrote her recommendation on a piece of paper. That paper was then copied, with the original being filed away, and the copy given to Rachel. It was then Rachel’s responsibility to take that piece of paper with her and give it to the lab when she arrived. As we all know, life happens—and we aren’t perfect. Along the way home she lost her form, which meant she couldn’t get her lab work completed.

By the time Rachel called the physician’s office, they were closed. Since it was a Friday, Rachel had to wait out the entire weekend. Fraught with worries over what the lab results could be, she felt hopeless and lost. On Monday, Rachel got a hold of the physician’s office and was promised that her paperwork would be faxed over to the lab. But, like I said earlier, humans are not perfect. Because the administrator was stretched thin due to a colleague being sick with a cold, the administrator failed to remember to fax over the form. Finally, days after the initial lab work recommendation, the physicians’ office was able to make another copy and fax it to the lab. Needless to say, Rachel was extremely frustrated. These frustrations trickled down, from Rachel to the administrator, and could have ended up negatively affecting an entire group of people. All of this frustration could be fixed if we designed systems that took the patient into account.

Q: Can a designer create positive moods in a patient through targeted design choices?

A: I believe we can, by understanding the patients needs and using those to help drive our decisions, we can thus create a better experience for the patient.

1010


Epic quote iminent.

1111


1111


The innovator’s challenge in healthcare is not a technological fix – it is more to understand and preserve core values of human care while changing practices for durable social and economic benefit.

DESIGNDIALOGUES

1212


Framing the Health Care Experience in America

1313


Can you see the many holes in the previous example? Paper trails, dependence upon office hours, and the reliance on human memory are all acting against Rachel and her health care. One of the main points is that although Rachel is a unique individual, her frustration is not. Many millions of Americans are dealing with processes in the health care system that are out of date and fail to create a positive patient-centered experience. But before we begin to think about innovating the health care experience, we must first accept a few things:

• Health care is a complicated matrix made of multiple stakeholders such as IT specialists, physicians, technicians, administrators, producers, insurers, human resource personnel, and last but not least, patients. 1

• Any innovation that may threaten the productivity of one or more of these groups will likely be opposed to innovation. Typically those with power, (doctors, nurses, people who write prescriptions, or manage other people) want to keep that power. This means making any real innovation in health care is hard to achieve, but not impossible.2 Aside from the power struggle, the implementation of any change into the system will include increased costs and risks.

• The health care industry in America, and more specifically, large scale institutions such as John Hopkins, or Kaiser Permanente, are wary of creating risk.3 When asked about where health care is headed in America, Dr. Mark Rampton, a physician in Corvallis, Oregon, said “With the Affordable Health Care Act, many large hospitals are trying to get as many people into their hospitals as possible.”4 Perhaps the possibility why these large hospitals are wary of creating risk is because they are trying to keep the processes the same while bringing in as many people as possible, the desire to make more money, or the avoidance to flak. (not wanting to be sued)

Health care is a business, and the more business you have, the more money you’re going to make. Unfortunately this kind of thinking is hampering any notable improvement upon a patient-centered experience. Because large-scale health institutions like Kaizer Permanente have a firm grasp on the industry, this makes it hard, but not impossible, for designers to come in and enact change.5 Graphic designers are becoming more aware of this barrier between innovation and design, which is why smaller design companies like +Citizen are making big progress in the health care scene. +Citizen doesn’t have a large overhead looming over them, and this means they’re able to think more innovatively about the overall health care experience.

+Citizen, based out of Portland, Oregon, is an interactive mobile design agency, and they’re beginning to approach views on health care from a different direction. Instead of waiting for an individual to get an ailment, they are taking a preventative approach. +Citizen developed what they call their Hercules program, allowing individuals to track their health levels such as biometric readings, caloric intake, and physical activity wirelessly on their mobile phone. Essentially, the individual is given the tools and information needed to stay informed about their own health, thus taking health care into their own hands. These tools can be delivered easily to individuals, and may even be implemented into a physician’s work-flow. Perhaps Rachel will one day see this application, or a variant of it, at her physicians office.6

+Citizen’s mobile health tracking app

1414


Barriers Between Health Care and the Patient

1515


“...Hello? Is Anyone There? Guess I’ll Just Check WebMD.”

We understand that health care in America is complex, and has many individuals at stake. We also know that innovation is going to be difficult to achieve. One of the biggest hurdles in reaching this innovation is a lack of communication between personnel in the health care industry. Open communication between the power structures of healthcare in order to create a universal discourse is necessary. To do this, we need graphic designers who can: create accessible communication channels, refine the ultimate goal of delivering a better patient-centered experience, and produce a simpler way of obtaining health care.

In order to understand how graphic designers can create better communication between the entities in the health care sector, it’s important for us to know how communication works. Communication is a two way street, and no one understood this better than Ferdinand De Saussure, a well known linguist in the 1950’s. Saussure laid out the process of communication as such:

• Sound-images create an image and our brain processes those images. It takes time and energy to process this information.

• Communication requires at least two people. • At the start, there is a mental fact, or concept, associated with representations

of the linguistic sounds (sound-images) used for expression. • A given sound-image unlocks a corresponding sound-image in the brain,

which is followed by a physiological process. • The brain transmits an impulse which is sent to the organs used in

producing sounds. • Sound waves travel from the mouth of one person to the ears of another.• This process continues to the next person but the order is reversed.7

Saussure thought the physical (sound-waves), physiological (phenotation and audition), and psychological parts (word-images and concepts) to be the most important parts of the communication process.8

Indeed these concepts are key to transmitting messages, but the psychological aspect of communication holds a greater possibility for impacting social change which may lead to a stronger discourse within health care. We’ve been taught that big innovation can lead to social change, and getting people to think critically about something is one of the most effective ways of changing people’s behavior.9 But how can we as graphic designers get society on board with social change?

To answer this we can look at two of the most dominant ways in determining whether a society responds well to communication.

1. Psychological Connections - such as thoughts, concepts, and ideas.2. Execution - The actual process of communicating language. Execution is always individual and the individual is always its master.10

An Idea occurs

and is sent

through words

The Idea is

received,

interpreted, and

another idea is

sent back

Communication Breakdown

1717


Furthermore, a key concept that Saussure said in regards to social acceptance of language was “Among all individuals linked by speech, some sort of average will occur.”11

We now know that language is a two way street, and can be accepted among all individuals if our speech is linked. This commonality of speech in a given populous may even lead to an increased possibility of social change and innovation. This is in part due to the ability of a given society’s ability to think and communicate critically about a subject. Currently in the health care industry, the discourse among all power structures is very fragmented. If we as graphic designers develop systems that facilitate strong communication among everyone, it will lead to innovation within the health care industry.

Aside from communication, there are other barriers that inhibit a better patient-centered experience, such as the stigma that comes along with health records being made available online. In fact, the government has tried to make it easier with bills such as the recent HITECH Act (designed to promote and expand the adoption of health information technology in order to increase the usage of electronic health records).12 Many people see it as an infringement, or loss of security when records are made available to them online. Dr. Rampton, a primary care physician in Corvallis, Oregon, says that the fear of personal records being compromised has fallen into the realm of paranoia. So much so that it’s inhibiting some of his patients from utilizing a platform at his practice, (Corvallis Family Medicine) which delivers their health records online, at the comfort of their home.13

Today data encryption is the most powerful it has ever been. However, nothing in our digital age is 100% secure. Take for instance the recent breach of millions of Americans credit card information at Target. One of the biggest department stores in the world, Target is not out of reach from security breaches. If people want a better patient experience, and I believe we all do, we must accept that digital solutions aren’t perfect but are more efficient, better for the environment, and can handle larger amounts of people easier than current methods. Overcoming the stigma that virtual information and change is bad will be a difficult task, but we as graphic designers can do it.

Q: Can functions of designed systems be transmited via semiotics?

A: The answer is yes, more and more our culture is being accustomed to the visual communication of signs and symbols as effective messengers. Perhaps in the future health care will utilize a universal system of symbols for communication.

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A Different Type of Health Care Experience

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At the heart of this paper, is the concept of designing systems for the patient in order to create a patient-centered experience. We as graphic designers must retool how the health care industry approaches the idea of service giving. We must design systems, applications, and experiences that take into account everyone, while putting the patients needs at the center. Not an easy task, but it is one that is sorely needed right now in our country.

We know for a fact that people are fed up with our health care system, which is why for the last decade people have been booting up their computers and surfing the web to research their symptoms in hopes of finding health care solutions. Rather than living in doubt, or scheduling appointments with a physician, people turn to the web for guidance. Sites like WebMD offer the health seeker an ability to gain real information about a wide variety of health care information. The idea of learning by action and collaboration with others is what two media theorists, Thomas and Brown, find so fascinating.

Thomas and Brown proposed that humans are beginning to learn in a different capacity. Instead of using the classroom, or in this case the doctors office, they are using the internet, and the ability to collaborate with others to find solutions. Coined as a ‘massive information network’, Thomas and Brown found that people resonate more deeply with something that offers intrinsic value.14

Take for example, a person who researches a health condition on their own. Typically a health seeker will find quantified explanations by a real physician, who’s then given suggestions to implement. Then that person will either implement

those suggestions or choose to ignore them. Theoretically, according to Thomas and Brown, because that person researched the information themselves they will take those suggestions far more seriously than someone who is flat out told what to do.

Thomas and Brown believe an envioronment which cultivates collaboration and personal action, something special occurs which is so strong and compelling that it easily creates a collective network. You can see the importance of the idea of a ‘massive information network’ in the hopes of creating better discourse in the health care sector. Perhaps if we incorporate the ability to collaborate easily with each other, we can create systems that are dynamic and offer increased discourse.

One company is attempting a collaboration approach while taking out the doctor’s office entirely. Zipnosis merging the gap between real physician care and the ability to stay at your home. Zipnosis, a web based health care platform is qualified to handle a multitude of clinical problems entirely online. Zipnosis CEO, Jon Pearce, says “If other telemedicine companies are like Blockbuster, Zipnosis is more like Netflix. We are web based and can be used on any device. We’ve been able to build a company that is a true digital platform between a patient and a provider. We are targeting more than just information – we are focused on diagnosis, treatment and triage.”15

In theory, this is a great way to treat people without having them wait in long lines and fill out complicated forms. However, Dr. Rampton believes this is a problem. When asked about companies like Zipnosis, he said he’s pretty strongly opposed to the idea of an online health care system. He believes there is something that you cannot get from a computer-to-computer interaction (i.e. empathy). Will web based platforms take out the need for a doctor’s office entirely? It’s doubtful. There are some medical issues that are too complicated to get advice on over the internet. Will devices in the future be able to take readings from your home and send them digitally to a physician who can extrapolate the data and give an honest assessment? Now that is a possibility. We do know that technology is advancing at an impressive pace, and most of these new mobile and web based applications have one thing in common: damn good design. Their websites are responsive, their apps are clean, they are easy to navigate, their typography is impeccable, and many of them create interesting touch points to engage the user. I believe if we are to make any innovation within the health care industry, we will need to flex our design muscles, and tap into our user-experience know-how, because as I have discussed, health care is resistant to change.

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To Sum It All Up...

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We are going to be met with resistance

We have to take into account the current infrastructure

We have to use accessible and intuitive design

We have to put the patient at the center

We have to create discourse among all stakeholders

We know that in order to innovate the health care industry we must realize a few things first:

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Well it is, but we as designers strive for a good challenge. We live to look at complex situations by delving deep into research, only to surface with fresh ideas that make a difference in peoples lives. According to Banny Banerjee, a professor at Standford ChangeLabs, we need to retool our entire business strategy. At an AIGA conference in 2012, he said that there are two types of strategies:

1. Red ocean strategies-meaning all the sharks are going to one area, and the name of the game is bigger and better marketing. 2. Blue ocean strategies-where in you use your ingenuity to create value.

He also listed a few notable capabilities and attributes that we as graphic designers should be striving to achieve in the 21st century:

• Gain an empathic understanding of the human condition• Synthesize and pose the right questions• Frame the goals and shape the intentionality• Create a common forum for discourse among stakeholders• Bridges between the high level and the tangible• Clarify and visualize complexity• Propose strategic visions, imagine new possibilities• Generate innovative concepts and solutions in terms of

the larger vision• Implement the solutions, and maintain design integrity• Create new values, behaviors, agency, and outcomes16

Sounds complicated right?

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We truly live in an exciting time full of innovative possibilities. The world around us is practically begging for graphic designers to start making notable improvements in the social front. Utilizing our design abilities in order to develop a better patient-centered experience is necessary for the health care industry to thrive. Opening our hearts and our minds into the possibility of business and human condition being aligned is not a pipe dream, but rather a real future. If we as graphic designers are willing and dedicated to designing for the patient, then we absolutely can make a difference. It’s time we realize that money isn’t everything, and in order for our society to continue to develop and grow, we must be willing to tackle tough social problems. With resources being used up more and more everyday, we need sustainable alternative solutions that are incorporated seamlessly into our lives. It’s time we design for the patient and not the market.

My Final Thought

Citations1. Jones, Peter. Design for Care: Innovating Healthcare Experience. N.p.: Rosenfeld Media, LLC,

2012. Print.Page 12

2. Ibid

3. Ibid

4. Dr. Mark Rampton. Interview. February, 2014

5. Jones, Peter. Design for Care: Design as Care. N.p.: Rosenfeld Media, LLC, 2012. Print.Page 19

6. “WHERE WE’RE HEADED Health & Wellness.” +Citizen. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Mar. 2014.

<http://pluscitizen.com/themes/health-wellness>.

7. Saussure, Ferdinand De. Course in General Linguistics. New York: Philosophical Library, 1959.

Print. Page 11


Print. Page 12.


Print. Page 22.

10. Ibid


Print. Page 13.

12. “Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act.” Wikipedia. Wikimedia

Foundation, 22 Feb. 2014. Web. 13 Mar. 2014. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Health_

Information_Technology_for_Economic_and_Clinical_Health_Act>.

13. Dr. Mark Rampton Interview. February, 2014

14. Thomas, Douglas, and John Seely. Brown. A New Culture of Learning: Cultivating the

Imagination for a World of Constant Change. Lexington, KY: CreateSpace?, 2011. Print. Page

30.

15. “Alexisavvy | Healthcare It & Consumer Health Blog.” Alexisavvy Healthcare It Consumer Health

Blog. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Mar. 2014. <http://alexisavvy.com/2014/01/23/founder-interview-

jon-pearce-ceo-of-zipnosis-online-diagnosis-and-treatment-is-here/>.

16. “Video: Banny Banerjee.” AIGA. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Mar. 2014. <http://www.aiga.org/video-gain-

2012-banerjee/>.

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Bibliography“Alexisavvy | Healthcare It & Consumer Health Blog.” Alexisavvy Healthcare It Consumer Health

Blog. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Mar. 2014. <http://alexisavvy.com/2014/01/23/founder-interview-

jon-pearce-ceo-of-zipnosis-online-diagnosis-and-treatment-is-here/>

“Communicating Information.” - Jisc InfoNet. N.p., 23 Sept. 2013. Web. 17 Mar. 2014.

“Glooko.” Glooko. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Mar. 2014.

“Institute For The Future.” IFTF: Health + Self. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Mar. 2014.

Jones, Peter. Design for Care: Innovating Healthcare Experience. N.p.: Rosenfeld Media, LLC, 2012.

Price, Emily. “Engadget.” Engadget. N.p., 6 Mar. 2014. Web. 17 Mar. 2014.

Rampton, M. (2014, February 14). Personal interview.

Saussure, Ferdinand De. Course in General Linguistics. New York: Philosophical Library, 1959.

Print. Page 11.

Thomas, Douglas, and John Seely. Brown. A New Culture of Learning: Cultivating the Imagination

for a World of Constant Change. Lexington, KY: CreateSpace?, 2011. Print. Page 30.

“Video: Banny Banerjee.” AIGA. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Mar. 2014. <http://www.aiga.org/video-gain-

2012-banerjee/>

“WHERE WE’RE HEADED Health & Wellness.” +Citizen. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Mar. 2014.

<http://pluscitizen.com/themes/health-wellness>

612 px

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DESIGN IN HEALTH CARE:Website redesign + labQ

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A person of average ability and experience can figure out how to use the thing to accomplish something without it being more trouble than it’s worth.

STEVE KRUG (DON’T MAKE ME THINK)

What is usability?

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ExperimentsIn order to better understand the direction I wanted

to take for my thesis project, I set out to complete a

series of experiments. These experiments dealt with

a range of user experience related topics.

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Health CareUser Experience

Digital ApplicationsUser-TestingTouch Points

Literature

LinguisticsInformation Design

TED-X

Accessible DesignDesign for good

Lakoff & Johnson

MetaphorsSemioticsUser-Interface

Color theory

Web design

Data visualization

Saussure

IconographyBusiness

Web-safe typography

InnovationSocial changePublic opinion

Public policy

Social demographics

Responsive design

Experiment 1: Preferred FormFor this experiment I created a online and in person survey.

The question I posed was “Upon your next doctors visit would you rather complete a paper form, digital form, google form, or doesn’t matter, and why?”

I got over 100 responses and the results were as follows:33 people prefer paper45 digital23 either6 google

Some of the reason why people chose paper were: What I’m used to / Easiest / Soothing

Some of the resons why people chose digital were: Quicker / Saves paper / Data can be stored.

ResultsI found that it was quite split down the middle as far as what type of form people prefer. What I found most interesting were the reasons why people made the choices they did.

Knowing the why helps me better understand the how. How do I create a better patient-centered experience?

Insightful answers such as “I look at screens all day and there’s something soothing about writing on paper.”, gives me insight into how to design systems on a digital interface.

What is the psychology behind peoples choices?

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Experiment 2: Adaptable FontsFor this experiment I created a series of simple mockups for a site and paper forms, which used the same five fonts.

The question I posed was “Looking at the following examples, rate them from least favorite to most favorite (based on legibility, and overall aesthetic) For your top pick what was it about that font the you liked?”

I hoped to find out if I could created targeted moods through a font in order to make a patients attitude more positive, and can a font help create brand cohesion within health care.

The typefaces people had to chose from were:

Helvetica

Proxima Nova

Chaparral Pro

Clavo

Bernino Sans

Can a specific font create positive attitudes in a patient?

ResultsAgain, the reasons why were so interesting to me because they helped me understand why people gravitated towards the choices they did.

Overall, the font most people chose was

Proxima Nova.

Some of the reasons why people chose this font were as such:

“Cleanliness, comfort”

“Light, energetic, honesty and authentic”

“Friendly”

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Positive attitudes created by the font helps prove my theory that fonts can create positive moods.

Experiment 2: Cover Oregon AnalysisFor this experiment I did a site wide analysis for Cover Oregon’s mobile experience.

The question I posed was “Does Cover Oregon do a good job of creating a pleasant mobile experience?”

I was trying to find out if a health care site was able to create a on-the-go experience that was fluid and intuitive for the patient.

Some of the things I analyzed were:

-Accessiblity -Impact-Language -Intuitiveness-Pace of information

ResultsThere were a few things that Cover Oregon did well but there were far more things it did wrong.

Some of the things I enjoyed was the use of large fonts (althought in some places it reverts to tiny text) and good spacing between elements.

The things I found bad about the site was that it required you to use Internet Explorer during the registration process, even on a mobile phone.

Big yield signs used for warnings create a bad attitude toward the site.

How can a designer blend form and function in a mobile platform?

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• Moving Forward

• I want to create something meaningful and desirable for people in need.

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Project ScopeAfter analyzing the results from my experiments I came to the conclusion that I would redesign a doctors web site.

The project scope would be to redesign a website for Eliza-beth Fraze, a doctor practicing endocrinology care in the Bay Area. The website had to be approachable by a wide range of users, and allow the ability for patients to register online prior to coming in for their appointment.

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efraze.com, 2013

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Initial ResearchI began by conducting a site wide analysis of the current iter-ation of the site. I took notes on where links went to, and the general flow that a user might take. In user-experience terms I did an out of box experience test. I recorded anything that came to mind.

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HOME

About News Contact Directions New Patients Literature

ContactForm

Make Payment

Registration

ObservationsSome things that stood out to me upon my initial experience on the site were as such: news seemed out of place because I wasn’t expecting a doctors site needing to have an entire page on news let alone having it be the second link to click on.

Make a payment under the contact page wasn’t working because it was hidden, and would be better if it was made available in a clearer manner. Literature seemed like the wrong term to use for what it was intended to be which was a way for the doctor to post articles or information she thought would be beneficial to her patients. An easy fix would be to change it to blog.

Another thing I noticed was the clear prominence the site places on the doctor which, makes it seem like it’s more about her than it is her patients health.

efraze.com sitemap

efraze.com navigation, 2013

The prominence of the doctor

on the navigation system

makes it seem more about her

and less about the patient.

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ConceptingIn order to define the visual language of the website I had to have a clear understanding of the vision and ‘voice’ of the site. When you boil it down to the bare essential you get the desire to help people get better.

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SitemapBy creating a sitemap early on, it allowed me to have a clear indication of what the user was going to need from me as a designer and how they were going to experience it on the site.

Some of the things I purposefully did was make the contact link the first thing patients will see so they know they can always find help quickly, and get rid of the payment feature.

One of the last things I did was change the link literature to health blog in order to make it more clear as to what it was.

HOME

Contact Directions Health BlogRegistration

Online Form

efraze.com proposed sitemap

About

Services

initi

al s

ketc

h

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WireframesDesigning wireframes allowed me to get a good look at the user-flow (how the user will experience the site), without having to worry about the visual details.

Landing Desktop About Patient Registration

Photoshop was my ideal

choice for designing the

the wireframes due to its

layer functionality.

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The experiments I did early on had a direct influence on my design choices. These experiments were based on user-experience, thus the choics that I made had a strong connection to the individual. This is very important because

at its core, health care is an

individual experience. While

there are collective experiences

shared in the process, largely

you seek out better health for

selfish reasons.

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Headlines

Sub Heads

Body copy

Dr. Fraze uses an approach that’s individual to each patient’s

situation. We understand that you have many choices when it

comes to your health needs, and appreciate the consideration

and trust you put in a healthcare provider. We look forward to

helping you get your life back on track.

TypographyThe font I decided to use was Proxima Nova. It is a diverse family that translates incredibly well between print and screen applications.

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RGB: 101, 101, 101CMYK: 59, 52, 51, 21HEX: 656565

RGB: 89, 195, 221CMYK: 58, 2, 10, 0HEX: 59c3dd

RGB: 255, 255, 255CMYK: 0, 0, 0, 0HEX: ffffff

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Color PaletteCreating a clean, calming, and healing color palette helped me produce positive feelings for the patient which helps enhance their experience of the site.

Navigation SystemCreating a flat navigation system was the logical choice for me. Keeping things simple and pure reduces confusion and the time it takes a user to think.

Desktop navigation system

Typography hover states

ABOUT

ABOUT Hover

Active

Although mobile devices can’t implement hover states effectively, desktop users have come to expect them.

*Text inside colored boxes are white.

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Every moment we’re in a Web site, we’re keeping a mental running tally. It’s one of the main factors we use in deciding whether to bail out and deciding whether to ever come back.

STEVE KRUG(DON’T MAKE ME THINK)

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ImageryA large part of the research was spent looking at stock photos in order to help drive the vision of the site, which was to make it about the patient and less about the doctor. Images like this one help tremendously.

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Mockups Once I was settled on my wireframes and visual aesthetic I took to Photo-shop to begin creating the look and feel of the website.

1. Landing2. About 3. Registration

1.

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2., 3.

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Device Mockups Comping out the website in actual devices helps visualize what the content is going to look like in it’s native environment.

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Open space offers a clean

aesthetic which helps create a

positive attitude.

Conventional iconography helps

strengthen the communication.

Contact page

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About page

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Environment MockupsCreating an environmental mockup helps me understand how the site translates to a mobile experience whether that be indoors or out.

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Usability TestingOne of the last things I wanted to do was create a usability test to help determine if what I was designing was making sense to the user. I also wanted to make sure that the experience was pleasant and some of the intentional design choices I was making were showing through.

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Scenario QuestionYou have a friend who’s been talking to you about their endocrinology specialist (the study of hormones), and you’ve decided you want to check out their site and ask them if they’re allowing new patients.

Head over to the website efraze02.businesscatalyst.com and perform this function.

Q: How did you find the experience of trying to contact someone on the website?-Very straight forward-Button should be a little more visible. My eyes are drawn down to the blue icon. if the button is actionable, maybe it would be best to have it be blue as well.-Very easy. Was very visible.-Smooth and flawless-Very easy to find and straight forward

Q: What did you think of the overall visual aesthetic?-open, easy to navigate and read, it feels ‘healthy’-Clean, Inviting and professional. Makes me respect the practice due to their presentation-Clean, crisp, and welcoming, yet efficient. It is what I would want from a specialist in the medical field.-Good. Font was easy to read. Colors were pleasant to look at. The couple was a good visual.-Easy to read, easy to navigate. Colorful and fresh to look at.

Q: Was the information legible and easy to understand?10/10 said yes

Q: Click on the area of the page that stands out the most.

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What’s Next?The following is a rapid prototype I did for an application which utilizes finger print identification technology. The application lets patients log in with their finger and access their lab results in a clear and easy to understand manner. It also gives them the ability to request certain labwork without having to schedule an appointment with the doctor.

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labQ: labQ is a prototype application for the i-pad air 2. The application lets the patient use their fingerprint to log in making their labwork entirely secure.

Labwork notification: Upon logging in, the user is greeted with a notification that they have labwork which needs to be authorized, thus giving power to the patient.

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Labwork details: Labwork is laid out in a clear and easy to understand manner. The navigation on the left is simple and easy to understand. The patient has the ability to look at all their previous labwork if they so choose, as well as click deeper into work to get a visualization of their readings.

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Thank you for taking the time to look through my thesis and process book. I greatly enjoyed my research into this exciting field of design. If you would like to talk to me about my research, health care, design, or any other topics, feel free to email me at [email protected]

Sincerely,Patch Leishman

Documents

DESIGN IN HEALTH CARE: Creating a better patient-centered experience