Project 5

Community Health Clinic

Improving the patient appointment experience throuhg UX Research.

An end-to-end UX research project to understand why patients miss follow-up appointments and identify opportunities to improve their experience

The Challenge

The clinic believed patients were failing to attend follow-up appointments because reminder calls weren't effective.

Before jumping into solutions, I wanted to understand whether that assumption was actually true.

Phase 1 - Interviews

Patients didn't talk about reminder calls, instead, they described confusion, information overload, different buildings, poor explanations and appointments booked too quickly.

Phase 2 - Observation

Observation revealed that the booking conversation happened at the exact moment patients were mentally overloaded: right after a consultation.

Phase 3 - Journey Mapping

A journey map helped visualize the patient experience, emotions, questions, pain points and opportunities across the entire process.

Phase 4 - Survey & Usability Testing

The survey confirmed that the core issue wasn't memory but understanding. Usability testing with realistic tasks revealed misunderstandings with appointment cards and instructions.

Phase 5 - Analytics

Analytics supported what we discovered through qualitative research: the problem wasn't forgetting it, it was understanding.

Key Findings

Patients often left the consultation confused about what the follow-up was for.
The booking conversation happened when patients were mentally overwhelmed.
Appointment cards lacked clear information about purpose, location and preparation.
Patients needed more guidance, not more reminders.
Better understanding leads to better commitment and attendance.

Key Takeaways

Research changed the conversation: It helped the team focus on understanding, not blaming.

Understand beats reminders: Patients first need clarity before they need reminders.
Small changes create big impact: Better communication early leads to better outcomes.

Impact

Reduced appointment confusion
Improved patient understanding and satisfaction
Higher attendance rates
More efficient clinic operations
Stronger trust and patient engagement

Next Steps

Prototype new appointment materials and booking flow.
Train reception staff on communication best practices.
Measure impact over time and iterate.