POPDOC-your pocket doctor
PopDoc's user-friendly app offers easy non-emergency consultations between patients and healthcare pros, replacing traditional appointments with accessible AI-enhanced digital alternatives for a better healthcare experience.
Product Experience
Problem Space
Problem Statement
How might we establish accessible remote healthcare solutions for non-emergency quick consultations, alleviating the common difficulties of traditional in-person healthcare visits?
Problem Background
Since the beginning of the pandemic in 2020, the limitations of the traditional healthcare system have been exacerbated. Long wait times, complex scheduling of missed appointments, and inadequate communication between patients and healthcare practitioners have become even more problematic. The rigidity of in-person appointments has led to delayed care and escalating health issues.
Research Insights
User Pain Points
We identified two categories of prospective users (patients, medical practitioners) and conducted user interviews, and created an online survey, identifying the following challenges.
The top three areas of concern were:
- Busy schedule being the biggest obstacle.
- Frustration due to long wait times.
- Medical practitioners are unable to give good quality of service due to high patient volume and the burden of too much paperwork.
Supporting Data
Using my own research an overwhelming 81.81% of individuals cite their busy schedules as a significant obstacle, the data underscores the exasperation caused by long wait times, with 72.72% of patients enduring prolonged periods(avg 30-60 mins) in waiting rooms before receiving attention. Additionally, 75% of healthcare practitioners contend with high patient volumes. This is coupled with the burden of too much paperwork, noted by 50% of practitioners, which not only consumes time but also deteriorates the quality of service.
Feedback
After presenting the idea to a few of our customers we yielded insightful feedback. They found great value in the app's convenience and flexibility. However, some users expressed concerns regarding data privacy. We engaged in constructive conversations, sharing our plans to enhance security through robust data encryption and transparent privacy policies, which resonated positively with them. Furthermore, when we discussed the prospect of integrating telemedicine capabilities for more specialized consultations, customers were enthusiastic. They viewed it as an exciting opportunity that would significantly enrich the platform's utility and broaden their healthcare options. Their feedback further validated our vision and provided a clear direction for refining and expanding our offering.
Landing on the Solution
Based on our target users’ pain points, we knew we wanted to work on the following features: efficient appointment scheduling, medication and appointment reminders, comprehensive patient data access, AI-powered symptom analysis, and personalized health tips. These features directly address the challenges highlighted in our research.
User Flows/Mockups
User Story 1: As a busy professional, I want to easily schedule medical consultations virtually, without the hassle of long wait times or the need to take time off work
Scenario: Efficient Scheduling of appointments
User Story 2: As a patient managing multiple medications, I want to receive AI-generated reminders for both appointments and medication doses, ensuring that I stay on top of my treatment plan and improve my health outcomes.
Scenario: Medication and Appointment Reminders
User Story 3: As a healthcare practitioner, I want organized access to patient's medical history and data, enabling me to make well-informed decisions during consultations.
Scenario: Comprehensive Patient Data Access
User Story 4: As someone experiencing new or concerning symptoms, I want to use the app's AI symptom analysis feature to quickly assess my health situation, allowing me to decide whether a consultation is necessary and potentially catching health issues early.
Scenario: Symptom Analysis
User Story 5: As a health-conscious individual, I want to receive personalized healthcare tips based on my medical history, so that I can make informed lifestyle choices and take proactive steps to maintain my well-being.
Scenario: Personalized Health Tips
Future Steps
Firstly, we are doubling down on our commitment to data privacy by implementing robust encryption and transparent privacy policies, addressing the concerns voiced by our users. Moreover, we're excited to explore the integration of telemedicine capabilities into the app. This addition would enable specialized consultations, expanding the platform's versatility and catering to a wider range of medical needs
Learnings
Product Manager Learnings:
Sneha Kale
It was a great learning journey that equipped me with a comprehensive toolkit to navigate the intricate landscape of product management. I understood how to plan product ideas from the start to the end. I also practiced creating ideas, learning what customers want, and fitting the products with their needs and problems. I did a project on my own, where I made a product with a focus on what users need. I got the chance to interact with many peers and gain their feedback on my project. I also gained a lot of useful tips and suggestions from the mentor sessions. Overall it was a great learning experience.
Designer Learnings:
Designer Learnings:
Jo Sturdivant
- Adapting to an Established Team: Joining the team in week 6 of 8 was challenging, as I had to quickly adapt to existing workflows, dynamics, and goals. This mirrors real-world situations where you often integrate into teams mid-project, and flexibility is essential.
- Work-Blocking for Efficiency: With only two weeks to complete the project, I learned the importance of a structured work-blocking system. This approach allowed me to manage my time effectively and meet deadlines under pressure.
- Making Data-Driven Design Decisions: Unlike my past projects, I had to rely on research conducted by others. This was a valuable experience in using pre-existing data to guide design decisions, helping me focus on the core insights without starting from scratch.
Developer Learnings:
Developer Learnings:
Vanady Beard
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As the back-end developer, I learned how important it is to create efficient and reliable systems that support the entire application. This experience also taught me the importance of optimising the database and ensuring the backend is scalable and easy to maintain.
Developer Learnings:
Stephen Asiedu
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As a back-end developer, I've come to understand the importance of being familiar with various database systems and modules. This knowledge enables me to build diverse applications and maintain versatility in my work. I've also learned that the responsibility for making the right choices rests on my shoulders, guided by my best judgement.
Developer Learnings:
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Developer Learnings:
Maurquise Williams
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- Process of Creating an MVP: Developing a Minimum Viable Product (MVP) taught me how to focus on delivering core functionalities balancing between essential features and avoiding scope creep.
- Collaboration in a Real-World Tech Setting: This experience taught me how to collaborate efficiently in a fast-paced tech environment, keeping the team aligned and productive, even while working remotely across time zones.
- Sharpening Critical Thinking and Problem-Solving Skills: This experience honed my ability to think critically and solve problems efficiently. By tackling challenges and finding quick solutions, I sharpened my decision-making and troubleshooting skills in a dynamic, real-world setting.
Developer Learnings:
Jeremiah Williams
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All in all this experience was very awesome I learned that in coding with others being transparent is key
Developers Learnings:
Justin Farley
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I learned how important communication is when working with a team. Communication provides understanding, advice, ideas, and much more. While working with the product team, I’ve found that communication keeps everything flowing smoothly. Working with a team also showed me that every member brings something different to the table and we all have to work together in order to align and meet our end goal.