Walk-In Ease
An app that revolutionizes clinic visits. With real-time appointment availability, nearby clinic suggestions, and a convenient waitlist feature, Walk-In Ease ensures you can secure a spot effortlessly and receive timely care. It’s a perfect solution for hassle-free clinic visits.
Product Experience
Problem Space
Problem Statement
How might we enhance the experience for patients at walk-in clinics to provide a more efficient and satisfactory visit?
Problem Background
Clinic visits can often be a cumbersome process, involving challenges such as long wait times, difficulty in booking appointments, and overall inefficiencies.
Our targeted customers are individuals seeking medical care at clinics, particularly those who rely on walk-in appointments. The problem we're addressing is the difficulty in obtaining timely appointments and the long wait times experienced at clinics. These challenges create frustration, inconvenience, and delays in accessing necessary healthcare services.Addressing these issues is essential to improve the patient experience and streamline the clinic visit.
A recent survey highlights the need for addressing waiting times and improving the overall experience at walk-in clinics.Participants expressed a desire for improvements and suggested implementation of an app for assessing clinic availability and wait times, a more efficient booking system, and reduced wait times. Participants also desired experienced doctors who were willing to spend more time listening and diagnosing concerns.Currently, all clinics use different methods of showing available time slots, booking etc and there is no streamlined process for patients to utilize.
Transparent communication of wait times and the utilization of technology for appointment booking could enhance patient satisfaction
Research Insights
User Pain Points
We conducted some interviews and surveys to understand the pain points of different patients.The survey indicates that a significant number of respondents visit walk-in clinics multiple times a year due to general illness. Appointment availability is reported to be limited, and most appointments are booked in person or via phone calls and is not a convenient method reportedly.Waiting times for appointments vary, and overall satisfaction levels are relatively low.
Supporting Data
Regarding the availability of appointments, 45% of respondents found it to be very limited, while 30% considered it somewhat limited. 45% waiting over an hour and 35% waiting 30 minutes to an hour. Satisfaction levels are low, with 35% very dissatisfied and 20% somewhat dissatisfied. Waiting time was the most influential factor in determining satisfaction, followed by the quality of care received and the availability of medical resources.
Feedback
Participants expressed a desire for improvements in the booking process and overall care experience at walk-in clinics. They suggested better estimation and communication of waiting times, the implementation of an app for assessing clinic availability and wait times, a more efficient booking system, and reduced wait times. Participants also desired experienced doctors who were willing to spend more time listening and diagnosing concerns.
Landing on the Solution
The proposed solution to the problem of walk-in appointments is a platform which offers real-time appointment availability. The solution should empower patients by providing them with convenient and efficient ways to book appointments, via an app or webform.
Explanation of Solution
Walk-In Ease is a solution to the problem of appointment unavailability and long wait times at walk-in clinics. The app works by providing real-time appointment availability at various clinics, suggesting nearby options if appointments are not immediately accessible, and allowing users to join a waitlist for earlier slots. Users receive reminders for upcoming appointments, empowering them to stay organized and promptly access healthcare services. The app streamlines the booking process, optimizes clinic resources, and enhances the overall patient experience, ensuring efficient and timely access to medical care.
User Flows/Mockups
Future Steps
- Implement In-App Support: Incorporate an in-app support feature to assist users in case of issues or questions. Users can easily access customer support or FAQs within the app, improving their experience and providing timely assistance.
- User Onboarding and Education: Based on feedback, enhance the onboarding process with user-friendly tutorials and guides to help new users navigate the app seamlessly.
- Implement in App payment: For users with no health card, the app can take care of the payment to the clinic via interac or visa
- Accessibility Features: Address accessibility feedback to ensure the app is inclusive for users with disabilities. Implement features like voice-activated controls, text-to-speech options, and high-contrast themes to enhance usability.
Learnings
Product Manager Learnings:
Sawroop Kaur
Co.Lab has been an incredibly enriching experience for me. Over the past 3 weeks, I've immersed myself in the world of product management, and it has been truly enjoyable. Co.Lab allowed me to learn by doing, at my own pace, and working on exciting assignments involving real people and scenarios. The hands-on approach made learning fun and educational, and I now feel confident in pursuing product management as a career. I am grateful for all the knowledge and feedback I received during this program. Thank you for an amazing learning journey!
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.