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Background

»Expert healthcare at my fingertips.«

EHA Clinics is a primary Health Care provider, on a mission to change the face of healthcare in Nigeria.

EHA Clinics initially established its services to ensure high-quality healthcare for eHealth Africa staff and their families. In addition, it aims to build enduring relationships with its patients by offering membership options that provide reduced prices and unlimited consultations for an affordable annual fee.

In an effort to provide digital services for its members, EHA Clinics embarked on the development of a companion app, which empowers patients to book appointments, engage in direct communication with their physicians, and access their medical records, particularly useful when seeking specialized treatment at other healthcare facilities.

Additionally, the app serves the purpose of alleviating the burden on front desk staff, who had been overwhelmed with phone inquiries from patients seeking lab results or appointment information.

The Challenge

»My medical data in my hands.«

The initial task for the MVP appeared deceptively simple: create a user-friendly app enabling members to sign in, schedule appointments, and connect with EHA Clinics.

To kick-start the project, I organized two pivotal workshops. The first session engaged stakeholders, providing essential background insights, discussing the clinic's vision, and collaboratively shaping branding and messaging strategies.

The second workshop, spanning three days, involved the informatics and marketing teams. During this intensive session, we conducted interviews, harnessed creative ideas, and ultimately unified around a shared vision. This process culminated in the app's name: HealthMate.

HealthMate was conceived as the patient's friendly companion, fostering a strong bond between patients and the clinic.

»Prototype, Fail, Iterate, and Learn.«

The initial phase of creating a simple prototype presented us with a significant challenge: establishing a secure yet user-friendly process to verify a patient's authorization for accessing their personal medical data.

We grappled not only with UX complexities but also encountered various technical hurdles regarding the interface with the clinic's patient management system. Patients in that system were identified by a unique email address. Our task was to leverage this email to link users with their corresponding patient records.

Consequently, we developed a streamlined workflow: users would enter their email address, followed by the receipt of a verification code sent to their email. Additionally, another code was sent to the patient's mobile number, ensuring that the person attempting to access the medical record was authorized to do so.

We had meticulously prepared and rigorously tested what we believed to be a simple and user-friendly registration process, and we were proud of our work.

Diagram of membership account creation and activation

However, our confidence was challenged when we launched the MVP for our patients.

It became evident that the registration process encountered unexpected obstacles. Although phone numbers were marked as mandatory fields in the patient records, we discovered that they were unavailable in certain cases, causing registration failures. To address this issue, we implemented a solution that captured such cases and communicated relevant messages to the users.

Furthermore, we encountered a challenge stemming from our use of email as the unique identifier for patients. This approach proved impractical as some patients shared the same email address, especially within families. As a result, the clinic's medical record system was modified, but this change inadvertently led to confusion in our sign-up process.

In light of these issues, we initiated a comprehensive overhaul of the registration process.

Concurrently, during the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic, we recognized an opportunity to further enhance registration: by decoupling the signup from patient record linkage. This strategic move enabled also non-members to access clinical services, including booking and purchasing Covid-19 tests, thereby broadening EHA Clinics service offerings.

New registration process: Signing up is decoupled from patient data linking

Conversational Design

»How can I help you?«

Due to HealthMate's identity as a friendly companion, adopting a conversational approach emerged as a natural choice for a universal design pattern. HealthMate communicates with users using a serif font face, accompanied by the clinic's heart emblem, creating a recognizable pattern for users.

For certain processes, such as appointment booking or membership purchases, HealthMate seamlessly guides users through each step of the workflow.

This conversational pattern was remarkably well-received by patients spanning various age groups and backgrounds. It effectively mirrored the conversational interactions that patients were accustomed to over the phone, while also accommodating turnarounds and the provision of additional information at key junctures.

HealthMate speaking…

The dialog concept was extended to handle more intricate tasks, such as booking and purchasing Covid-19 tests during the pandemic. This was a multifaceted process involving various test types and swiftly changing official regulations, as well as evolving clinic service requirements. Consequently, the flow had to be continuously adapted to keep pace with these dynamic variables.

Various test types for travel and non-travel, home sample collection options, different pricing models for members, including the possibility to purchase multiple tests were just a few of the shifting demands that kept our development team on their toes.

Health Diary

»Empower Your Health Journey.«

One of HealthMate's central features is the Health Diary, a valuable tool tailored to meet the needs of many EHA Clinics patients who grapple with chronic illnesses, notably diabetes and hypertension. These patients require continuous monitoring of their blood pressure or blood sugar levels, allowing clinicians to deliver optimal care.

In a bid to replace cumbersome paper tracking sheets, we devised a comprehensive Health Diary. This digital solution empowers patients to effortlessly track, evaluate, and share their readings with their healthcare providers. Furthermore, patients can set personalized reminders, ensuring they never miss a reading.

But that's not all; the Health Diary also encompasses a weight tracker and a medication diary. It serves the dual purpose of reminding patients to adhere to their medication schedules while offering clinicians valuable insights into treatment coverage and effectiveness.

Get Care

»Bridge the gap between patients and healthcare services.«

EHA Clinics extends its commitment to patient care beyond the clinic's physical walls, offering a range of convenient services. These include an online pharmacy, allowing patients to order both prescribed and over-the-counter medications.

Additionally, a selection of health test kits is available, which patients can utilize in the comfort of their homes or return the samples to the lab for analysis. Furthermore, EHA Clinics offers a Telehealth service, enabling patients to connect with their doctors via video calls for remote consultations.