Texas Health Resources

A best-in-class patient portal for one of the largest health care providers in the U.S. The Texas Health Resources App provides patients an online option to research health care providers, schedule appointments, manage health records, pay bills and more.
Approach
Working with a visionary client, I was deeply involved in every phase of this application. From visiting hospitals and running workshops, to establishing branding guidelines and user testing, a superior mobile patient portal was created.
My Role
User Experience
User Interface
Visual Design
Illustration
Process
Taking on problems using Design Thinking methodologies
Discovery
Together with key stakeholders from Texas Health Resources (THR), we went through a process to define a consumer driven experience to bring the THR Health Platform to life on mobile.
Establishing Goals & Visions
Our workshop started with collectively establishing Goals & Vision of this new experience. This helped the team identify opportunities for improvement as well as align and prioritize what we should focus on.
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Key Takeaways:
- The experience should be about them(consumer), not about THR. 
- Build a relationship before they even need help. 
- Improve their life and well-being by creating a Simple, Easy and Seamless experience.  
- Meet the consumer where they are in their healthcare service and show that we care. 
- Consistent Ecosystem: Create a one stop shop for Pre, During and Post care. THR is along for the “whole” journey.
Hesitant vs Proactive
We ran a quick exercise to gain a better understanding of who and how consumers are engaging with services. The goal was to help us prioritize user needs throughout the project by building empathy for and awareness of a system’s users. Users fall into 2 primary buckets; hesitant and proactive.
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Hesitant User key takeaways
- Think they can’t afford health services
- Afraid of what they might be told or “found” during a visit 
- Rely on the family to push them to move forward

Proactive User key takeaways
- Have had regular visits, relationship formed and accustomed to the experience
- Have a known issue and want to stay on top of treatment 
- Pro health and want to take control of their health
What needs improvement
This Workshop aimed to find the high level pain points in the current experience
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Key Takeaways:
- Process is too complex
- Overall cost is not known unless they do the research are make multiple calls
- Making an appointment takes too much time.Referrals are left up to the patient to make the appointment and inquire about services
- Lack of access to the lab results when they want them. 
- Release time can create anxiety. 
- Not fully aware of what the next steps are after visit for complete care program.
Finding the right provider for you
With multiple participants we ran a quick exercise to help understand what are the most important attributes for selecting a healthcare provider for you.
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Most important attributes:
- Location
- Doctor's specialty
- Years of experience
- Languages spoken
- Hospital affiliation
- Gender

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User Type and Task Matrix
We identified the key user types as well as how they will be using the application.
User Journey 1
User: Early and Often
Task: Finding a Primary Care Provider
User Journey 2
User: Any user that visits Texas Health
Task: Manage Bill Pay
User flows
After establishing the key users, tasks and journeys, we focused on the information architecture for creating an account and scheduling an appointment.
Wire Frames
Wireframes were based on our user flows and guided our design going forward.
Visual Exploration
Four visual explorations options were created to establish the look and feel for our high-fidelity design.
Visual Style #1 - Modern UI
Sleek, modern & Clean
Future Thinking
Visual Style #2 - Illustrative
Fun and Friendly
Uses Illustration to tell the story
Visual Style #3 - Very Friendly
Fun & Bubbly
Large friendly text helps set the tone
Visual Style #3 - Photographic
Slightly rigid and utilitarian
Uses familiar photography of Texas Health facilities
High-Fidelity Design
After settling on a visual style, we started to apply it to the existing wireframes.
Finding a Provider
A unique scheduling experience puts the patient in control - allowing users to find the right health care professional that works specifically for their needs.
Finding the right time
A one of a kind calendar functionality allows the user to find the right appointment for them based on their schedule. Sync with your calendar to automatically let know what times you are available.
Doctor comparison
Compare doctor's based on their specialties, location, medical school and more.
Established User's Appointment Scheduling
Compare doctor's based on their specialties, location, medical school and more.
Iconography
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