Challenge
1. Grasp the primary care concerns and challenges faced by OHIP patients, and 2. Discover potential opportunities and linkages with Integrated Care solutions.
Outcome
This was a patient-centred, agile-based generative/exploratory study. After 2 months, a successful proposal and a research report were submitted as part of the User Sociology course for my Graduate UX Program.
My Role
Solo UX Researcher
My Responsibilities
Stakeholder Alignment - Academic Proposal/Report - Desktop Research - Media Auditing - Non-participant Observation - Affinity Diagramming - Screening /User Interviews - Exploratory Survey
Discovery Process
Drivers of change:
crisis in the OHIP system
crisis in the OHIP system
August 2022 - Healthcare in Canada is seen as unsustainable. Marked by a lack of funding and personnel, an aging population, and limited capacity. Inflation, rising unemployment, and low wages aggravate the issue.
Integrated Care promises to address some of the gaps found in Primary Care. Still unknown to 53.8% of patients, its implementation is costly and challenging.
Our survey with 221 OHIP patients highlights a surprising finding.
Specialist Doctors appear to be the least consulted for health literacy, with only 37.3% of patients relying on them. Instead, Family Doctors take the lead as the primary source for 62.7% of patients, closely followed by online news (45.3%), health portals (40.6%), and medical Specialists (35.4%). Such results raise questions about the level of follow-up provided by Specialists with their patients.
Specialist Doctors appear to be the least consulted for health literacy, with only 37.3% of patients relying on them. Instead, Family Doctors take the lead as the primary source for 62.7% of patients, closely followed by online news (45.3%), health portals (40.6%), and medical Specialists (35.4%). Such results raise questions about the level of follow-up provided by Specialists with their patients.
- Insight -
Appointments are limited in length and frequency. Limited information drives users to web-based queries about their conditions.
Young patients are the most skeptical - Which can be attributed to their occasional use of medical services and their exposure to negative rumours on social media.
Existing alternative - Integrated Care hubs aim to bridge the patient-provider communication gap, creating potential competitive advantages within the private sector.
Existing alternative - Integrated Care hubs aim to bridge the patient-provider communication gap, creating potential competitive advantages within the private sector.
User Journey Mapping
Users have been discreetly observed in their natural settings during scheduled and non-scheduled appointments, with no interruptions.
Body language, interactions and spacial utilization
AMENITIES
PATIENT FLOW
INFORMATION AND PROCESSES
INFORMATION AND PROCESSES
SIGNAGE AND SERVICE FLOW
PATIENT FLOW
INFORMATION AND PROCESSES
INFORMATION AND PROCESSES
INFORMATION AND PROCESSES
INFORMATION AND PROCESSES
At this stage, the goal was to identify any friction points, repetitive patterns, and assumption validation across an additional method. Users' body language, gestures, spatial utilization, sentiment, and interactions have been documented through the P.O.E.M.S. framework:
The themes above emerged from the non-participant observation. Themes with red marks had more notably negative comments.
Lifelabs appears to effectively handle its high demand through a stringent booking system, CSAT surveys with a raffle incentive, and digital displays showing accurate wait times. In contrast, Imaging Diagnostics experiences shorter wait times due to lower demand and a mandatory booking system that aids in workload management.
Extended wait times were observed at the walk-in clinic in alignment with the media auditing, suggesting a patient backlog.
- Insight -
Patients lack reliable scheduling, waiting times and doctor's availability systems.
Opportunity Gap. Dedicated rating systems and reviews would offer value as alternatives to Google. There is room for real-time communication of wait times and user feedback gathering.
User 1. "There’s no government website, you know, for these are all the doctors in Toronto and these are the ones that guaranteed are taking new patients." - Alex. M.
User 2. "Wait times, my mother had to wait months while being in pain to get help for her sciatica." - Anonymous
User 3. "I’ve had appointments that have been lost where the receptionist has just apologized and said, we’re just so sorry." - Chris L.
User 2. "Wait times, my mother had to wait months while being in pain to get help for her sciatica." - Anonymous
User 3. "I’ve had appointments that have been lost where the receptionist has just apologized and said, we’re just so sorry." - Chris L.
Fostering value through Integrated Care
Integrated Care covers all healthcare needs, from prevention to end-of-life care, including physical, mental, and behavioural aspects. It's prioritized for ongoing care patients, including the elderly, homeless, drug addicts, and individuals with mental health, AIDS, and cancer conditions.
The model below illustrates a complete set of Integrated Care solutions. By consolidating this data with the needs and concerns of researched patients, technology and personnel emerged as areas of highest perceived value (in red).
The alignment diagram below consolidates patients' needs with Integrated Care solutions.
The needs have been placed above the line, and the proposed solutions of the integrated care model are positioned below it. The matrix highlights the most impactful solutions from the patient's standpoint (red).
The needs have been placed above the line, and the proposed solutions of the integrated care model are positioned below it. The matrix highlights the most impactful solutions from the patient's standpoint (red).
Conclusion
After deep dive into the patients’ past experiences with conventional care settings, I captured their hopes and feelings. I got acquainted with Integrated Care in its efforts to address inefficiencies in the primary care system.
The analysis revealed that Canadians appreciate the universality of healthcare, but see it as disintegrated, incomplete, and unsustainable, from appointment booking and medical history to available treatments and diagnostics.
Given the small sample size and that integrated/primary care is a complex, systemic issue, I acknowledge there is an opportunity for further exploration, with a special interest in policy-making topics, such as integrated systems and programs, processes, and quality standards.