La Meva Salut

UX redesign of the Catalonian public healthcare app to enhance the user experience by streamlining the information architecture, implementing multi-user management, integrating advanced accessibility features, incorporating english language option and enhancing screening questionnaires with the option to attach images.

Goals

Evaluate the usability of the appointment and consultation service app.
Identify whether the design effectively addresses user pain points.
Gather feedback to inform future iterations for better accessibility and efficiency.

User Personas

The Young Patient

Carla Sanchez

Age: 23

Tech Proficiency: High

The Older Patient

Josep Martí

Age: 68

Tech Proficiency: Low

User Story: As a busy university student, I want an app that allows me to quickly check into my family doctor's office and complete heath screenings online, so I can avoid waiting times and manage my health efficiently.

Behaviors:

Quickly adapts to new apps.
Prefers self-service solutions to avoid in person interaction.
Struggle with slow chunky interfaces.

Goals:

Fast and efficient check-in.
Reliable health information access.

Pain Points:

Frustation with redundant steps in current system.

Motivations:

Avoid waiting time; values convenience.

User Story: As an elder patient who isn't tech-savvy, I want a simple and easy-to-use app that helps me check into my doctors office without feeling overwhelemed, so I can stay independent in managing my healthcare.

Behaviors:

Prefers face-to-face interactions but is willing to try digital tools with help.
Struggles with app navigation and remembering password.

Goals:

Keep medical appointments organized without tech stress.
Easy to understand design with minimal steps.

Pain Points:

Anxiety about using apps.
Reliance on family support.

Motivations:

Maintaining independence in healthcare tasks.

The Caregiver

Laura Vidal

Age: 45

Tech Proficiency: Moderate

The Healthcare Recepcionist

Marta Ruiz

Age: 35

Tech Proficiency: High

User Story: As a caregiver for my elderly parents, I want an app that allows me to manage their medical appointments and check-ins easily so I can save time and stay organized.

Behaviors:

Manages multiple appointments for family members.
Uses reminders and printed summaries to stay organized.

Goals:

Centralized management of multiple health profiles.
Clear communication from healthcare systems.

Pain Points:

Overwhelmed by fragmented systems

Motivations:

Simplify caregiving tasks to focus on personal responsabilities.

User Story: As a recepcionist in a busy clinic, I want an app that reduces manual work and allows me to manage check ins efficiently so i can focus on helping patients who need estra support.

Behaviors:

Balances administrative tasks with patient interaction.
Adapts quickly to new tools but has limited time for troubleshooting.

Goals:

A system that reduces repetitive tasks an manual errors.
Seamless integration with existing tools.

Pain Points:

Delays caused by patient confusion or technical glitches

Motivations:

Focus more on helping patients and less troubleshooting.

Research Methodologies

Users were screened with a 50-50 split between experienced and first-time app users. Cross-variables included age, gender, user persona role, technology literacy, appointment frequency, disabilities and accessibility needs, and preferred language.

Synthetic 1-1 Qualitative Interviews (8)

Conducted semi-structured interviews to allow natural conversation while focusing on key topics.
Asked open-ended questions to uncover frustrations, needs, and behaviors related to appointment booking and check-in processes.
Collected qualitative insights on pain points, mental models, and expectations regarding digital healthcare services.

Synthetic Qualitative Surveys (100)

Designed structured surveys with multiple-choice, Likert scale, and ranking questions for measurable insights.
Recruited a large sample size (including both experienced and first-time users of La Meva Salut).
Focused questions on ease of use, perceived efficiency, frustrations, and feature desirability.

Remote and In-Person Usability Testing (5+5)

Participants will complete predefined tasks (booking, checking in different users, navigating key features).
We will observe interactions and gather qualitative feedback via post-test interviews.
Eye-tracking tools may be used to analyze navigation patterns.
Quantitative metrics (completion rates, time, errors) will be recorded.

Insights

1.

Unclear Interactive Cues: Users, especially elderly and those with low digital literacy, often struggle to distinguish actionable elements from static content. This lack of clear visual differentiation leads to hesitation and misinterpretation of available functions.

2.

Accessibility Gaps for Visually Impaired Users: A significant portion of users face barriers navigating the app due to insufficient support for non-visual interaction. The absence of robust screen reading capabilities leaves them feeling excluded from a seamless experience.

3.

Visual Discomfort in Diverse Lighting: Users with low vision or older adults report discomfort when interacting with the app under bright or varied lighting conditions. The current interface, prone to glare and high contrast, adds unnecessary strain and diminishes prolonged usability.

4.

Text Readability Challenges: The present text sizing and presentation create difficulty for users with visual impairments. Inadequate font scaling increases cognitive load and slows task completion, particularly affecting older users.

5.

Limited Language Inclusivity: With only Catalan and Spanish available, users from diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds experience friction. This narrow language support restricts the app’s accessibility and undermines its potential to serve a broader, international audience.

6.

Fragmented Multi-User Experience: Caregivers and family members managing healthcare for multiple individuals encounter friction due to a lack of integrated multi-user functionality. The disjointed approach creates complexity in managing schedules and profiles, leading to inefficiencies.

7.

Overwhelming Information Architecture: The current structure is cluttered with redundant content and overly complex navigation paths. Users feel overwhelmed by the volume of information, which hinders their ability to quickly find and complete key tasks.

8.

Limited Communication Channels: Users struggle to convey detailed or nuanced information through text alone when interacting with healthcare providers. This communication gap can result in misunderstandings, delays in service, or misdiagnoses.