MediConnect Patient Portal Case Study

Project Overview

The Client

Acha Bafoussam Hospital Complex is a regional healthcare institution in Cameroon that provides essential medical services to a large community.

The hospital previously relied on a manual information system (paper records, handwritten reports, and physical scheduling), which made operations slow, prone to errors, and difficult to manage as patient volume grew.

The Challenge

From a UI/UX standpoint, the main challenge was to translate complex manual workflows into a digital interface that hospital staff could easily adopt. Key design challenges included:

Creating clear information architecture for patient records and scheduling.
Designing intuitive navigation to support staff with varying digital literacy.
A lack of structure in patient record-keeping and scheduling.
The need for consistent, accessible, and intuitive interfaces to reduce training time.
Aligning digital workflows with the hospital’s existing manual processes to minimize resistance to change.

Project Goals

Simplify usability by reducing the steps for core tasks (e.g., registering patients, booking appointments)
Establish a clear information architecture for patient records, scheduling, and billing.
Ensure usability and accessibility with clean layouts, readable typography, and responsive design.
Improve workflow efficiency, reducing the time staff spent on repetitive tasks.
Reduce administrative workload for healthcare staff

My Role

As the Lead UX Designer on this project, I was responsible for:

Conducting user research and stakeholder interviews
Creating user personas and journey maps
Developing information architecture
Designing wireframes and prototypes
Conducting usability testing
Collaborating with developers on implementation
Presenting designs to stakeholders

Research & Discovery

Research Methodology

10+ in-depth interviews with doctors, nurses, and administrative staff
9 observation sessions of daily hospital workflows (patient registration, scheduling, billing)
Online survey with 350+ patient responses
Competitive analysis of 5 leading healthcare portals
Heuristic evaluation of existing portal

Key Findings

70% of staff reported delays in retrieving patient records due to paper-based storage
60% of patients experienced long wait times caused by manual appointment scheduling
85% of administrative staff said duplicate or missing data was a recurring issue
Monthly statistics and reports were very difficult to compile, often taking days and prone to errors
Lack of communication between departments led to repeated tests and billing mistakes
Staff spent 10-15 hours weekly on repetitive manual tasks that could be automated

User Personas

Dr. Natasha Nkode

Senior Consultant Cardiologist

An experienced physician seeking to streamline patient care workflow. Values efficient system integration and clear data visualization. Needs quick access to patient histories and test results.

10+ years experience Research focused Tech-savvy

Key Requirements:

Seamless integration with existing medical systems
Advanced data analytics and reporting capabilities
Efficient patient communication tools
Mobile access to critical patient information

Problem Statement

"Acha Bafoussam Hospital staff and patients needed a more efficient and reliable way to manage healthcare operations because the existing manual system was paper-based, slow, and prone to errors. Retrieving patient records, scheduling appointments, and generating monthly statistics required significant time and effort, leading to staff frustration, patient delays, and inaccurate reporting."

Competitive Analysis Insights

Modern hospital management systems emphasize centralized digital patient records with secure access
Leading solutions provide streamlined appointment scheduling to minimize wait times
Successful systems integrate automated reporting tools, reducing administrative workload
Role-based dashboards and permissions increase efficiency and accountability
Consistent design patterns and terminology improve usability and adoption

Design Process

1. Information Architecture

Based on research findings, I redesigned the hospital's information architecture to transform the manual system into a clear, digital structure. The new design focused on reducing complexity, prioritizing daily tasks, and making patient information easier to find.

Key Improvements:

Reduced navigation depth from fragmented manual steps to a streamlined 2-level digital structure
Designed a centralized dashboard with shortcuts to patient registration, appointments, billing, and records
Applied consistent terminology across the system (e.g., "Patient Record" instead of mixed terms like "File" or "Folder")
Organized patient data, medical records, and billing in a searchable, logical flow
Enabled monthly statistics and reporting to be automatically generated from structured data

2. Wireframing

I created low-fidelity wireframes to establish the basic layout and functionality of key screens. This allowed for quick iteration and feedback from stakeholders before moving to higher fidelity designs.

Wireframing Approach:

Created wireframes for 15 key screens
Conducted 3 rounds of internal reviews with stakeholders
Tested navigation patterns with 5 representative users
Iterated based on feedback before moving to high-fidelity designs

3. High-Fidelity Prototypes

Based on the approved wireframes, I developed high-fidelity prototypes that incorporated MediConnect's brand guidelines while introducing a more modern, clean aesthetic. The prototypes were interactive to allow for comprehensive usability testing.

Design System Development:

Primary Blue

#0070C0

Accent Gold

#C4A661

Light Blue

#E8F4FC

Text Dark

#333333

I developed a comprehensive design system including color palette, typography, components, and interaction patterns to ensure consistency across the platform and facilitate developer handoff.

Typography System Component Library Interaction Patterns Accessibility Guidelines

4. Usability Testing

I conducted usability testing sessions with 12 participants, including hospital staff (receptionists, nurses, doctors, and accountants) who represented the primary user personas. The tests focused on critical workflows such as patient registration, appointment scheduling, medical record retrieval, billing, and monthly reporting.

Testing Results:

88% task completion rate (up from ~55% when using the manual system)
Time to register a patient reduced by 65%, freeing staff to attend to more patients
Appointment scheduling errors dropped significantly, with users completing bookings in under 2 minutes
Monthly statistics generation (which previously took days) was automated and could be completed in under 10 minutes
Staff rated the new system as "much easier and faster to use" compared to the manual process
Overall usability feedback highlighted that the navigation was intuitive and aligned with daily hospital workflows

5. Refinement & Final Delivery

Based on usability testing insights, I made final refinements to the hospital management system design before handing it off to the development team. These refinements ensured the system was both user-friendly and technically feasible. I also prepared comprehensive documentation, including design specifications, interaction patterns, and edge cases.

Key Refinements:

Simplified patient registration by reducing unnecessary fields and steps
Streamlined appointment scheduling from 6 steps to 3, minimizing errors
Improved reporting workflows, enabling automated monthly statistics generation
Standardized terminology across departments (e.g., consistent use of "Patient ID" instead of multiple terms)
Enhanced accessibility with larger font sizes, higher contrast, and clearer form labels

Deliverables:

Complete design system with reusable components (forms, tables, dashboards)
Interactive prototypes in Figma covering all major workflows (registration, scheduling, billing, reporting)
Detailed design specifications for front-end and back-end alignment
Documentation for accessibility compliance, ensuring the system was usable under different conditions
Implementation guidelines and best practices to support developers during integration with Django

Key Features & Solutions

Simplified Patient Registration

Redesigned the registration process to reduce paperwork and manual duplication. The new system allows staff to:

Register new patients in under 3 minutes
Auto-generate a unique Patient ID linked to their records
Store demographic, medical history, and insurance details digitally
Reduce errors with built-in validation for key fields

Accessible Medical Records

Created an intuitive system for accessing and understanding medical records. The solution includes:

Chronological timeline of medical history
Categorized test results with visual indicators
Plain language explanations of medical terminology
Secure document sharing with healthcare providers

Statistics & Reporting

One of the hospital's biggest operational pain points was generating monthly statistics (patient counts, treatments, and revenue). With the manual system, this process took several days each month, often leading to errors, missing data, and staff frustration.

Automated Reports: Designed reporting workflows that allowed administrators to generate monthly summaries with a single click
Customizable Filters: Enabled filtering by department, doctor, or service type to make reports more actionable
Visual Dashboards: Added charts and tables that gave staff at-a-glance insights into patient volume, common treatments, and revenue streams
Export Options: Allowed exporting reports into PDF or Excel for sharing with hospital management and government regulators
Error Reduction: Automated calculations minimized the risk of duplicate entries and human error

Admin Control Panel

Developed an administrative section that allows hospital management to oversee and manage the system effectively with comprehensive control features:

Add, edit, or remove users (doctors, nurses, receptionists, accountants)
Assign role-based permissions for secure access
Configure modules (Patient Management, Billing, Lab, Pharmacy, Reports)
Monitor system usage and staff performance through activity logs

Results & Impact

Key Metrics

Portal Adoption Rate

+165%

Before: 23% After: 61%

Appointment Scheduling Time

-73%

Before: 8.5 min After: 2.3 min

Patient Satisfaction Score

+48%

Before: 5.8/10 After: 8.6/10

Administrative Workload

-42%

Before: 15.2 hrs/week After: 8.8 hrs/week

Client Testimonials

"Daniel's redesign of our patient portal has transformed how we deliver care. The intuitive interface has significantly increased patient engagement while reducing administrative burden on our staff. The attention to detail and user-centered approach is evident in every aspect of the design."

Dr. Emily Richardson

Chief Medical Officer, MediConnect

"As a patient with multiple chronic conditions, the new portal has made managing my healthcare so much easier. I can quickly schedule appointments, view my test results, and communicate with my doctors all in one place. The interface is clean and easy to understand, even for someone who isn't tech-savvy."

Robert Johnson

Patient, MediConnect

Business Impact

$1.2M

Annual operational cost savings

32%

Reduction in missed appointments

28%

Increase in preventive care visits

The redesigned patient portal has had a significant positive impact on MediConnect's business operations and patient care outcomes. By streamlining administrative processes and improving patient engagement, the portal has contributed to operational efficiency, reduced costs, and enhanced the quality of care delivery.

Learnings & Next Steps

Key Learnings

User Research is Invaluable

The depth of our user research revealed critical pain points that weren't initially obvious. Speaking directly with patients across different demographics provided insights that shaped the entire redesign approach.

Simplicity Drives Adoption

The most significant improvements came from simplifying complex processes. By reducing steps and cognitive load, we dramatically increased user satisfaction and completion rates.

Accessibility Matters for Everyone

Designing with accessibility in mind from the beginning benefited all users, not just those with disabilities. Clear typography, strong contrast, and intuitive navigation improved the experience for everyone.

Future Opportunities

Telehealth Integration

The next phase will focus on seamlessly integrating telehealth capabilities into the portal, allowing patients to conduct virtual visits directly through the platform.

Personalized Health Insights

Developing AI-driven health insights that can analyze patient data to provide personalized recommendations and preventive care suggestions.

Family Account Management

Creating family account capabilities to allow caregivers to manage healthcare for multiple family members through a single interface.

Reflection

This project was a powerful reminder of design's ability to impact people's lives in meaningful ways. By focusing on user needs and creating intuitive, accessible experiences, we not only improved a digital product but also enhanced healthcare delivery and patient outcomes. The collaboration between design, healthcare professionals, and patients created a solution that truly addresses the complex challenges of healthcare management.

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