UI & UX Design
Mobile App Design
I had the opportunity to collaborate with a fellow UX designer, Johnson Fan. Together, we successfully developed a comprehensive mobile application comprising 24 distinct screens, which included the creation of both a provider and a patient portal, integrating advanced AI interpretation capabilities.
- Predicted Annual Savings of up to $31,250 per clinician
- Enhanced User Engagement and Satisfaction
- Potential Industry Impact and Innovation
The Silent Challenge: Navigating Healthcare Without English
Healthcare has made incredible leaps and bounds in the last decade. However, a critical issue still exists: Limited English Proficiency (LEP) speakers struggle to access healthcare due to language barriers.
To address this, we created Healthlingo, an AI-powered interpretation app that allows real-time translation between patients and providers, ensuring LEP individuals receive seamless support during medical appointments.
A World of Languages, A Single Mission: Breaking Down Barriers
"In a world with over 6,500 languages, healthcare faces unprecedented challenges, especially during global crises like the pandemic. Our mission is to break down language barriers hindering non-English and minority language speakers from accessing essential care, insurance, and clear communication with medical professionals. We're dedicated to simplifying healthcare access for all, ensuring everyone gets the care they need."
Imagine hearing this at your next doctor’s appointment.
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You have...
Pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis
Sounds kind of terrifying right? Well, for a non-English speaker, this is just how most medical words sound to them.
An Unspoken Struggle: The Problem Space
Limited English proficiency users need a better way to communicate with their healthcare team.
Many non-native English speakers (NNES) rely on their community, often family members, as intermediaries in their healthcare journey. On average, they assist with over 70% of medical appointments, which places immense physical and emotional strain on those assisting.
Simultaneously, the individuals receiving assistance often feel like a burden on their loved ones, this results in missed healthcare opportunities, miscommunications, and delays in treatment, ultimately affecting the overall healthcare outcomes of the non-native English speaking population.
Uncovering Barriers with Real Users
We aimed to gain insights into the healthcare challenges faced by Limited English Proficiency (LEP) speakers. To achieve this, I conducted interviews with a group of 4 individuals representing varying levels of English proficiency. Specifically, we excluded proficient English speakers from the interview pool to focus on capturing the unique perspectives of LEP individuals.
Unveiling the Problem: Defining the Gap
In today's healthcare system, non-English speaking patients struggle with language barriers, leading to misunderstandings and poor health outcomes. Despite some proficiency in English, these individuals seek additional support to navigate health-related communications independently, without burdening friends or family.
There is an urgent need for a user interface that is convenient, intuitive, and inclusive of diverse languages, empowering users to confidently manage their health care.
Our Design Process
Our design process was a dynamic journey, full of unexpected discoveries.
Reimagining Communication: Exploring Solutions
Currently, hospitals rely on live interpretation services which are costly and heavily regulated. Even medical translation apps such as Boostlingo outsource their interpreters which creates limited availability of interpreters, especially for certain languages. We noticed a gap in the market for an application that can instantly provide medical translation in multiple languages accurately.
We took the opportunity to explore AI Capabilities for Medical Translation. Our initial testing with chat GPT revealed that voice-activated AI possesses the capability to offer real-time and accurate translations in Chinese. This breakthrough served as a catalyst for us to further explore a multitude of potential solutions.
Given the abundance of ideas, we needed to clarify our scope and determine which potential solutions to prioritize. Our decision-making process for prioritization revolved around three key criteria: ease of use, impact, and balancing stakeholder needs. This approach enabled us to establish a clear focus on defining our Minimum Viable Product (MVP) and identifying potential features to be placed in the backlog.
Proposed Solution
We envisioned a platform using advanced language processing technology to deliver instant and accurate medical translation across multiple languages, reducing reliance on live interpreters. The application aims to be fully integrated with the clinic’s secure SAAS management system, ensuring compliant data handling while enhancing accessibility and efficiency in healthcare for both practitioners and patients.
Design Decisions: Crafting a User-Centric Experience
In developing our healthcare app, it became evident that distinct user portals were necessary to cater to the specific needs of providers and patients.
Firstly, the provider portal's user flow was oriented towards facilitating efficient access to patient information, appointment scheduling, and medical records management. Providers needed swift access to patient charts, lab results, and treatment plans. Therefore, the provider portal was designed to emphasize quick navigation to patient profiles, appointment calendars, easy access to start an AI interpretation session.
Provider Portal User Flow
Patient Portal User Flow
What distinguishes the patient portal from that of the provider is that it is fully translated; in our example it is a Chinese translation, making it easy for LEP to navigate the app. The AI companion functionality can only be initiated by the provider during the appointment. Tailored approaches for patient and provider experiences should consider language and technology usage for optimal care delivery. portal’s user flow was.
The emphasis for the patient view was on intuitive navigation for patients to view upcoming appointments, access lab results, request prescription refills, and personal health summaries generated by the AI companion.
From Concept to Reality: Designing the Solution
The preliminary design aimed to ensure that the entry points and subsequent actions within the app were tailored to each user's distinct needs.
The primary objective of the Provider Portal is to offer interpretation services for the patient. Together, the patient aims to not only receive these interpretations but also to assess the translated visit summaries within their portal at their convenience, as detailed below.
Mid-Fidelity Prototypes
Provider Portal (Doctors)
Patient Portal
High Fidelity Prototypes
We designed a complete mobile app that includes a Provider and Patient Portal integrating AI Interpretation technology with an intuitive and language-inclusive user interface.
Doctors can access current appointments, view patient records as well as AI summaries from previous visits
Start new AI interpretation sessions for patients and sync the session on the patients phone
Provider Onboarding
Patient Onboarding
Real-time interpretation for both doctors and patients using Healthlingo just at the click of a button
Patient View
Provider View
An auto-generated AI summary of the patient visit will be available auto-loaded into the patient’s portal following the appointment
From Good to Great: Refining the Experience
Usability Test Findings Unveil the Need for Step-by-Step Instructions
We discovered that providing users with all the instructions on how to use the app at once resulted in users not reading the instructions altogether or forgetting them. We needed to incorporate a step-by-step instructional approach within the app. By presenting users with clear and concise directions that guide them through each touchpoint, we can enhance user understanding learnability.
Guided Help and Instructions
Usability Test Reveals Need for Clear Speaker Distinction
The feedbacks highlighted a pressing need to refine the user experience by clearly distinguishing the speakers during conversations.
Lessons Learned and Looking Ahead
This project underscored the critical importance of aligning design decisions with a viable business model, ensuring that the product not only meets user needs but also makes strategic sense for the organization. Integrating business strategy with design, enabled us to develop a product that not only addresses real-world challenges but also has the potential to make a significant impact in the healthcare industry.
- Real-World Research: Conducted extensive market analysis and user research to shape the project's scope and feasibility in the market, providing valuable insights into user preferences, market trends, and technological feasibility.
- Strategic Innovation: Emphasized market differentiation through unique app features, demonstrating the importance of innovative design in competitive positioning
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