Ontario Health Queue
Creating a Virtual Queue System to streamline emergency room visits and improve patient satisfaction.
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My Role
Product Thinking, Product Design, Ux Research, Visual Design, Usability testing
Timeline
December 2024 (2 weeks)
Project Background
This project was my very first venture into UX design, created three years ago alongside the famous Google UX Design course. It was an excellent starting point, but my skills have significantly evolved since then. Recognizing the potential of the original idea, I felt it deserved a renewed approach with the expertise I've now acquired.
The app serves as a virtual waiting room for emergency rooms, designed to inform patients about real-time wait times and streamline their hospital visits. My redesign process involved conducting usability studies with the original design, gathering valuable insights that led to targeted enhancements in functionality and user experience.
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Breakdown of my process
DISCOVER
Understanding the Problem
Real Life Situation
At the end of 2024, I had to take my dad to the ER because he injured his knee. We tried searching for different hospitals in our area, but either the wait times were too long, or they didn’t provide any information on ER wait times. Eventually, we decided to go to the closest hospital. I dropped him off at 11:30 PM, and I received a call from him at 5:58 AM to come pick him up. That’s a six-and-a-half-hour wait.
The core problem is the lack of accessible, real-time information on emergency room wait times, which prevents patients from making informed decisions about where and when to seek care. This information gap often leads to increased stress and potentially worsened medical outcomes as patients waste valuable time searching for the shortest wait.
The Solution
Challenge #1: Patients lack a centralized source for real-time wait times across Ontario, leading to uninformed decision-making during emergencies.
Solution: The app consolidates real-time wait times for all emergency rooms in Ontario into a single, easy-to-use platform, allowing users to make quick and informed decisions on where to seek care.
Challenge #2: Traditional waiting in hospitals can expose patients to health risks and discomfort, especially when facilities are overcrowded.
Solution: The app offers a virtual queuing system, enabling patients to join waitlists remotely and wait in comfort, reducing time spent in physical waiting rooms and minimizing health risks.
Review of Original Design
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Roasting my designs from 3 years ago (from when I was a newbie designer) and spotting improvements
App Name
The original app name, 'H.E.A.L,' an acronym, fails to clearly communicate the app’s specific function as a real-time emergency room wait time tracker. Additionally, the playful tone of the acronym may not convey the seriousness required for an application ideally integrated with provincial health networks
Unnecessary Landing Page and Greeting
The landing page is overly wordy, which could overwhelm users. Remove the unnecessary greeting on the home screen to allow immediate access to core functionalities
Onboarding
The onboarding process is incomplete and interrupts the user experience. Allow access to wait times before prompting users for detailed information to improve engagement.
Profile Creation Necessity
Mandatory profile creation may not suit the sporadic use typical of an emergency app. Reconsider this feature to better cater to occasional access needs.
Unnecessary Graphics
Current graphics, while intended to be user-friendly, do not align well with the healthcare focus of the app. Opt for more relevant imagery to strengthen purpose and user relevance.
UI Design for Healthcare App
The app’s colorful and stylized UI could undermine its credibility as a healthcare resource. A more restrained color scheme and simplified design could enhance user trust and app reliability.
Feedback from Useability Study
For this usability study, I employed a direct observation approach where five participants were individually asked to perform a specific task within the app. The task involved entering a virtual queue at Mystic Falls General Clinic. During these sessions, I silently observed each participant, taking detailed notes on their interactions with the app.
Okay, yeah, so I think I got through the task, but I don't know, it seems like something was missing.
Pretty colours! But I don't know if pretty is the vibe you're going for with this.
Oh. That's it. I thought there would be more questions. It didn't even ask for health card information.
DEFINE
Key Focus Areas
1. Cleaner UI
Simplify the user interface to enhance usability and reduce visual clutter, making it easier for users to navigate and increase credibility.
2. Redesigned User Flow
Refine the user flow to be more logical and seamless, removing unnecessary steps and improving intuitiveness from login to task completion.
3. Thorough Patient Intake Form
Develop a more detailed and user-friendly entry process
for personal information that increases trust
Feature Prioritization
The MoSCoW method chart below categorizes features for the healthcare app. This prioritization ensures that every included feature directly addresses essential healthcare needs and user requirements, crucial for maintaining focus and effectiveness in a healthcare setting.
User Journey Map
01
Initial Decision
The user recognizes the need to visit an Emergency Room (ER).
02
Accessing the Platform
The user searches for Ontario Health care on their mobile phone or another device.
03
Homepage Interaction
Upon landing on the homepage, the user is presented with suggested hospitals, prominently displayed.
04
Exploring Hospital's
User clicks "View More" on the homepage.
A dynamic map shows hospitals in the area. User can search & filter hospitals
05
Selecting a hospital
From the map or list, the user selects a hospital to view more details.
User can view detailed information about the selected hospital
06
Patient Intake form
After choosing a hospital the user is guided to a form to enter personal information, medical history, and their reason for the visit
07
Confirmation
Once the form is done, the user is taken to a confirmation screen that includes final details such as chosen hospital information, current wait times, and queue status.
08
Waiting
The user will receive periodic text messages updating them on queue progress or other changes in wait times
09
Hospital Visit
Based on updates and estimated wait time, the user goes to the hospital at the appropriate time.​
Upon arrival, they check in at the ER front desk, expediting their admission process.
FINAL DESIGN
Revisiting User Flows
Is this flow too simple?
Yes, and that’s intentional. As a healthcare app designed for users in moments of stress or urgency, simplicity is essential to ensure that users can quickly and easily navigate through the process without confusion or unnecessary complexity.
Meet Ontario Health Queue
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Home Page
Disclaimer to direct users in life threatening situations to skip the queue and call 911 immediately
Prepares users by outlining the key steps they will need take to reserve a spot in the queue
Uses the user’s location to find the closest hospital and provides a link to Google Maps for directions.
View More Hospitals
Allows users to search and filter hospitals based on hospital name, address or estimated wait times
Interactive Map
List of hospitals sorted by distance
Hospital Details
Wait times and further details showing predicted times gathered from data from previous 7 days
Hospital Details with direct link to device's default map application
Patient Intake Form (1):
​Personal Information​
Clear descriptions for each question asked and a 'why we ask' feature so users feel comfortable giving their data
Patient Intake Form (2)
1. Medical History
2. Reason for visit
