Kaiser Permanente
Introducing a therapy booking feature
Role: Researcher, Designer, Interviewer, Tester
Duration: 4 weeks
What is the Problem?
Current members of Kaiser cannot schedule therapy sessions through the home portal.
Currently, a page that lists local provider facilities and their phone numbers. On this page, users are instructed to contact providers on their own to see if they are accepting new patients and if they may complete a screening assessment.
Providers list for users to call, inquire, and depending on if they are accepting new patients; book a separate appointment for an assessment.
My Solution
Introduce a feature that allows current Kaiser Permanente members to search for a Therapist, view their assigned therapist’s information, and book a therapy session.
Goals for my feature
The research
I conducted an analysis of competitors to identify the key factors that contribute to the success of a therapy platform.
This allowed me to identify common patterns, capabilities, services, and other offerings that could potentially enhance the user experience with therapy within the Kaiser system. I aimed to make the therapy experience more user-friendly and improve overall usability for Kaiser members.
Key Takeaways from my analysis
BetterHelp gets straight to the point when it comes to therapy. Information on their website is clean and organized.
Heavily researched based methods; lots of research available on site Overall I think Talkspace is one of the top competitors. Talkspace is heavily data and research driven, as evidenced in the information presented on the website. It feels as though they have shed a lot of light on the benefits of therapy
User Interviews
I interviewed participants that provided insight from their own experience utilizing therapy services through different channels or expressed interest in enrolling in therapy but faced barriers to care.
Stand out needs from user interviews
Key takeaways from interviews
Easy access and convenient booking emerged as the top priority for users. They expressed a strong need for a streamlined and user-friendly process to access therapy services.
Finding the right therapist was perceived as a lengthy and challenging process, indicating a need for improved guidance and support in selecting a suitable therapist.
Users highlighted that developing a sense of comfort and rapport with a new therapist could be awkward and uncomfortable initially, emphasizing the importance of creating a welcoming and supportive environment for users to foster trust and connection with their therapists.
Synthesizing Interviews with Affinity Mapping
Personas
Phoebe
Would like to be able to control her anxiety
Needs flexibility and affordability from her therapist
Monica
Needs help on how to identify self help
Needs therapist of same faith
Information Architecture with Sitemaps
During the initial assessment of Kaiser Permanente's information architecture, it was not immediately evident that there were multiple entry points available. However, upon closer examination, I discovered that the information was scattered and lacked cohesion.
To address this issue and create a MVP, I realized the importance of narrowing down my scope and focusing on specific areas that required improvement within the existing information architecture. This approach allowed me to prioritize essential features and enhance the user experience more effectively.
Mapping out the data with Task & user Flows
Through a process of trial and error, I successfully formulated a plan to implement the most viable product, as well as identified potential future enhancements.
From here, I created Wireflows
Taking a different approach from the typical wireframes, I chose to use wireflows to more effectively and efficiently plan my design.
Creating wireflows allowed me to visually map out each individual screen within the existing Kaiser member portal and determine the optimal placement for the therapy and booking feature. This process helped me establish a clear orientation and layout for seamless integration. This was the start of my design process.
Once the wireflows were organized optimally, I proceeded to develop the key functions of the new feature
Integrated entry points within the existing home page for Kaiser members to facilitate easy access to finding a therapist.
Introduced a calendar feature into the design that prompts users to select a specific day and time for their upcoming therapy session. This feature provides a convenient and intuitive way for users to schedule their sessions, ensuring a seamless and efficient booking process.
Incorporated a feature that enables members to easily reschedule their therapy sessions directly from the therapist booking page. This functionality offers members greater flexibility and convenience in managing their appointments, contributing to a smoother and more personalized user experience.
Testing the Feature
After few iterations, it was time to conduct testing on the feature product. I tested for 3 tasks:
Locate a specific therapist
Navigate to view therapist’s information
Schedule a session with existing therapist
Key takeaways usability testing
2 out of 5 participants were able to locate a specific therapist with minimal error
5 out of 5 participants were successfully able to navigate to view their therapist's information and schedule a session with an existing assigned therapist
navigation was easy and straightforward
the calendar view was convenient in viewing the therapist's availability
the possible filtering feature in the search module was of great interest in locating a therapist that fits needs
Outcomes & Learnings
Once the product is finished, there are several things that could be done differently to improve it. These include:
More organization of the information architecture
Reduce or improve entry points to allow for a more streamlined process to getting care
Expand on future scope items
Assessment questionnaire
Therapist matching feature
Methods of therapy sessions (phone, virtual, text)
What worked
Incorporating/planning the feature by wireflows
Breaking down existing entry points via task flows
Narrowing down main entry points for members
Reviewing the current portal for members
What didn’t work
Overwhelming at first with more entry points than needed
Getting carried away from the main scope due to other issues noticed
Not breaking down all entry points at first to locate the best possible approach to introducing the new feature
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