03 / Dermatel
Summary
Created an integrated solution that optimizes dermatology care, enabling patients to address concerns efficiently while enhancing provider workflows.
Project
A web application that provides virtual access to doctors, allowing patients to consult with dermatologists for non-urgent concerns without requiring an in-office visit.
My Role
UX/UI Design
Prototyping
User Flows
Feature Definition
Persona Creation
Stakeholder Collab
Impact
Realized the project vision by delivering the first iteration of the concept, clarifying the overall direction and informing strategic implications.
Created a high-fidelity interactive prototype that accelerated stakeholder alignment, reducing review cycles by 40%.
Mapped out user flows to identify optimal journeys and potential pain points, proactively resolving issues before users encountered them.
Industry Details
The client approached me to develop a working prototype as a proof of concept for Dermatel, a web-based platform specifically designed for dermatology offices to facilitate patient-doctor communication for non-urgent concerns.
The objective was twofold. First, it aimed to give patients quicker and more convenient access to care. This means reducing barriers such as long wait times, travel and scheduling challenges, so patients can receive timely consultations for concerns that don't require an in-person visit. Patients can get advice and early diagnostics from the comfort of their homes.
Second, the goal was to empower providers to manage both in-office and virtual visits more efficiently without compromising quality. This involves creating a system that integrates with existing workflows, allowing doctors to prioritize in-person consultations for complex cases while handling simpler issues online. The platform is designed to reduce administrative overhead and ensure that each patient receives the appropriate level of care.
Ultimately, this dual approach helps balance resource allocation, enhances patient engagement and maintains high standards of medical service across both care modalities.
While similar systems exist, the stakeholders determined that a custom-built solution was necessary to achieve the level of specificity and customization required for this practice. Off-the-shelf solutions are often designed for general telemedicine use and lack the flexibility to accommodate the unique workflows of a dermatology office, such as tailored patient intake, diagnosis and follow-up processes.
Additionally, building a custom app paves the way for future innovation. It offers the opportunity to integrate emerging technologies like AI, machine learning and automation tools that could enhance diagnostic accuracy, streamline operations and improve patient retention over time.
Discovery
For this prototype, we identified the essential functionalities needed to support our goals. With the aim of building an MVP that would facilitate stakeholder alignment, we focused on core features while deliberately avoiding scope creep.
In this freelance role, I worked directly with the stakeholders rather than the end users, which meant I wasn't as deeply involved in the discovery phase as I typically prefer.
To bridge this gap, I developed detailed user personas that represented our target audience. This allowed me to frame feature considerations and design flows from the perspective of specific users, leading to more informed and user-centric decisions.
To better understand our target audience, I developed personas for our two primary user groups: patients and providers. By defining detailed backgrounds for each persona, I was able to capture their unique motivations and challenges. This approach ensured that the design process addressed the needs of both groups and the overall user experience.
Our 'Celia' persona represents the archetype of a typical patient. She's communicative and detail-oriented, yet her busy schedule requires flexibility. She prefers the convenience of online booking over phone calls and often turns to social media for skincare advice, though she remains skeptical of influencer endorsements.
The ideal dermatology experience for Celia would be a digital-first one where she can:
Easily book an appointment online with clear insurance info
Have access to virtual consultations when needed
Receive a personalized treatment plan with affordable options
Feel heard, understood and supported in her skincare journey
Our 'Dr. Alibert' persona embodies the archetype of a dedicated and approachable doctor. Working at a practice near a college, she is keenly attuned to the needs of a diverse patient population, particularly students.
Dr. Alibert envisions a supportive and educational system where patients:
Schedule appointments promptly, no extensive waitlist
Feel comfortable discussing their skin concerns without judgment in the environment chosen by each individual
Receive evidence-based treatment tailored to their needs
Conclude visits with clear instructions and follow-up support
Product Goals
Enable patients to save time and money by consulting their doctor remotely.
Provide an easy way for patients to ask follow-up questions on their own schedule.
Allow doctors to prioritize in-office visits for complex cases while still assisting all patients.
Increase revenue by optimizing appointment schedules.
Improve patient flow management within the office.
Dual Functionality
The platform was designed with two distinct portals to address the unique needs of patients and doctors.
On the patient side, we streamlined the onboarding process by capturing only the essential personal details and a brief medical history. This approach allowed for quick account setup and minimized friction. We also ensured that patients could easily create and manage multiple cases simultaneously by carefully defining the relationship between 'Cases' and 'Visits' and setting clear permissions.
For doctors, the focus was on efficiently managing and responding to patient cases while optimizing their schedules. Although we explored the potential for an office manager role to handle administrative tasks such as sending patient invitations, the initial design prioritized doctor-specific interactions. Post-onboarding, providers were given a clear overview of patient status, enabling them to promptly address open cases and manage their workload effectively.
Patient Portal:
Onboarding: Patients must be invited to the platform, ensuring that only eligible individuals initiate communication with their doctor.
Collection of Medical History: New users must provide a base level of personal details and medical history before accessing consultations.
Case Creation: Whether addressing a single issue or multiple consecutive concerns, the system is designed to accommodate flexible case creation.
Image Sharing: Recognizing that visual context is crucial in dermatology, patients can attach photos to their cases, improving diagnostic accuracy.
Case Overview Screen: When managing multiple cases, patients can view both open and closed cases in a consolidated overview. This functionality helps them track the progress and history of their interactions, ensuring continuity in care.
Provider Portal:
Initiate Invite Link: Doctors send invitations to new users. This controlled entry helps maintain security standards.
Write Prescriptions: Doctors have the ability to prescribe medications as needed and send prescriptions directly to the patient’s preferred pharmacy.
Messaging System: A functional messaging system allows doctors to respond to patient inquiries within created cases which allows direct and efficient communication.
Visual Summary of Patients: A structured patient roster provides a quick, at-a-glance overview of who requires attention, helping doctors prioritize cases and manage their workload effectively.
Importance
With the constant competition of priorities in a busy lifestyle, medical visits often fall by the wayside. The inconvenience can deter patients from seeking timely care. Meanwhile, dermatology offices still face increasing demand, leading to long appointment wait times and operational strain.
Importance of telehealth:
Traditional dermatology appointments require patients to travel and wait for an in-office visit, even for minor concerns. Telehealth options minimizes unnecessary trips and associated costs.
Patients often have follow-up questions but may struggle to reach their doctor in a timely manner. Asynchronous messaging allows patients to receive timely answers without disrupting clinic operations.
By filtering cases that require physical examinations from those that can be handled virtually, providers can ensure that in-office visits are reserved for high-priority concerns, maximizing billable appointments.
For patients who do need to go in for an in-person appointment, telehealth platforms help balance digital and physical patient interactions, reducing in-office wait times and improving overall efficiency.
As demand for dermatologic care rises, alternative care models must be considered. Dermatel provides a solution that benefits both practitioners and patients, ensuring quality care without unnecessary delays.
MVP Design
For the patient experience, we needed to carefully design a process where a case could be opened and include multiple visits. These visits would reflect both patient and provider correspondence, giving the patient a comprehensive view of their treatment progression over time.
Since patients can initiate a case at any time outside of office hours, they don't need to wait for a clinic to open to begin their consultation. This flexibility allows patients to log off and return when convenient, reducing the time and mental effort typically required for in-person visits. The asynchronous model optimizes both patient and doctor time.
MVP design for patient case
First iteration of patient roster as a table
To create a patient roster that effectively demonstrated functionality and flow without unnecessary complexity, I initially designed a simple table with status tags. This first iteration focused on clarity, highlighting cases with new activity. Each row provided quick access to patient information and case details, allowing doctors to efficiently review and complete tasks.
However, stakeholder feedback revealed a need for a more dynamic and actionable interface. They sought a design that both displayed patient data and also offered a high-level overview of priorities and next steps.
Based on this input, I explored ways to enhance the layout by incorporating visual hierarchy, data visualization and interactive elements to make key information more immediately accessible.
I designed a dashboard that categorized patients by urgency, ensuring that high-priority cases were immediately visible. To further enhance usability, I introduced analytics tracking which monitored completed cases and weekly usage statistics, demonstrating the impact of the platform.
The updated design resonated strongly with stakeholders, as it better aligned with their vision for a more actionable and data-driven workflow. Recognizing the added value, they were willing to increase the development effort to bring this enhanced functionality to life.
Second iteration of patient roster as a dashboard
Flow Improvement
While doctors treat a variety of conditions each day, many cases share commonalities. Writing custom messages for each patient became a time-consuming task, so we sought a solution to accelerate communication without sacrificing quality.
To improve efficiency, we implemented canned responses that allowed doctors to quickly address common concerns. These responses could be customized, saved as templates and edited as needed, ensuring flexibility while reducing repetitive work.
This feature significantly decreased response time while maintaining a personal touch, enabling providers to manage their workload more effectively and move on to the next task swiftly.
Design for canned response modal
Roadmap
Since we intentionally limited the feature set for this initial prototype, several functionalities were identified but not yet implemented. A few key examples include:
Referral Functionality: Introducing an easy way for doctors to send referrals on a patient’s behalf, ensuring continuity of care.
Revenue Tracking: Integrating financial metrics to further demonstrate the platform’s effectiveness and impact on the practice’s bottom line.
User Roles & Permissions: Expanding access control to include office managers and define permission levels among doctors within the same practice.
Canned Response Repository: Building out the centralized library of pre-written, customizable responses to further improve messaging efficiency.
References
1 https://www.jaad.org/article/S0190-9622(19)33319-5/fulltext
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