User-Interviews and Contextual Enquiry

The team conducted interviews and contextual inquiry to understand the primary needs and requirements of our users, on-campus RIT students, and a stakeholder, a former RIT health center employee. As previously documented, 7 participants were interviewed, and one participant went through contextual inquiry. This data was then analyzed through modeling, analysis, and visualization to inform the development of user-centered requirements.

Affinity Diagramming/Card Sorting

The collected data was analyzed thoroughly and synthesized into four main categories via affinity diagramming. The group members did the analysis and categorization on Figma. The steps involved in this process were: collecting all our documented data into cards, grouping them according to similar patterns, and assigning final titles to these groups. The resulting diagram, can be accessed through the provided link.

User and Stakeholder Personas

Personas were created affinity diagrams and data collected from the interviews to represent our user types and stakeholders and provide a deeper understanding of the diverse needs and behaviors of our users and stakeholders. The personas contain the user info needs, pain points, and quantitative data (demographics and general usage behavior) to help us in making design decisions throughout the development process. 

Personas play a pivotal role in guiding the prioritization of features and functionalities needed for our health portal. By aligning design decisions with our target users' and stakeholders' identified needs and goals, our personas will help us determine which features will most impact the user experience. Personas also enable us to pinpoint the most common pain points and challenges faced by users when interacting with the portal, allowing us to prioritize efforts to address these issues effectively. This strategic approach ensures that our development efforts are focused on meeting the most critical needs of our users within the healthcare context, thus enhancing the user-centricity and effectiveness of our portal.

Data visualization - Journey Mapping

Journey mapping enables us to visualize a person's process to accomplish a goal, providing valuable insights into the user experience across different touchpoints and stages of interaction with the wellness portal, especially concerning visits to the Student Health Center (SHC).

It serves as a structured framework for organizing qualitative data and identifying opportunities to enhance the user experience. It allows us to gain a holistic understanding of user behaviors, needs, and pain points throughout their interactions with the wellness portal in relation to the SHC. By mapping out the user journey, we can pinpoint key touchpoints, moments of delight or frustration, and areas for improvement.

Incorporating journey mapping into our methodology helped us visualize the usability of the wellness portal regarding the SHC. This visualization aided in uncovering insights that may not be evident from individual data points alone.

Journey Map of Sara Hassan - A Student

Journey Map of Susan - A Stakeholder

Demographics

We have conducted the interview and data gathering process with over 8 participants in the category of users covered in milestone II, and I, a former wellness assistant, as a stakeholder. We hoped to collect more stakeholder participants. However,
a severe shortage of staff in SHC prevented us from conducting interviews and data-gathering processes. In this journey map data visualization, we conducted one user and one stakeholder to visualize the journey of wellness portal usage.

Summarization of Findings

The stakeholders' stories revealed a lack of communication and the potential benefits of providing instruction documents and notifications to guide first-time students, addressing gaps like those encountered by Sara. Additionally, users navigate through multiple interfaces related to Pyramed during check-in, including the wellness portal and Kiosk, posing challenges for both students and staff in managing confidential information. 

From user feedback, several key areas for improvement in the wellness portal emerge. Users express frustration with the cluttered design of the appointment booking section and difficulty navigating the interface, suggesting the use of visuals and symbols for better comprehension. Accessibility issues highlight the need for streamlined navigation and automatic data-filling features. Suggestions include prioritizing appointment booking on the homepage, clearer distinctions between health services, and the addition of features like a chatbot for emergencies and a FAQ section. Users also note missing sections within the portal, such as dietitian booking, which hinder access to necessary healthcare resources.

Further analysis reveals significant areas for improvement in both pre- and post-appointment phases. Users encounter difficulties accessing upcoming appointments and suggest receiving multiple reminders for better awareness. There are concerns over missing doctor and staff information during booking, reminders, and pre-instructions, indicating a need for comprehensive pre-appointment information. Post-appointment, users desire clear reminders, medication summaries, and explicit next steps, highlighting challenges with vague doctor instructions and overwhelming information provided.

Lastly, critical issues with the wellness portal's functionality and user experience are noticed. Language barriers hinder understanding, necessitating improved language support and online check-in options. Users also struggle with appointment booking due to cluttered categorization of health issues and an outdated interface lacking a search bar. Dissatisfaction with emergency services and the absence of doctor and staff information further detract from the user experience.

These findings validate initial concerns and provide insights for additional improvements, including navigation enhancements and the inclusion of missing health and emergency services.

Analysis and Discussion

The analysis of findings reveals critical relationships and effects that align with the research objectives. Firstly, communication gaps impact user frustration, emphasizing the need for clear instructions and notifications, particularly for first-time users like Sara Hassan. Additionally, challenges with navigating multiple interfaces during check-in highlight the importance of streamlining processes for better user experience and confidentiality management. Secondly, suggestions for features like a chatbot for emergencies and a FAQ section support the objective of enhancing functionality of the portal. Further analysis emphasizes the need for comprehensive pre and post appointment procedures, and addressing cluttered design difficulties aligning with our objective of improving the user journey within the portal. These insights validate our initial concerns and provide valuable direction for optimizing the portal's functionality and user experience.

User-Centered Requirements Development 

1. Categorization for health issues at the  booking an appointment:

• Reason for booking categories must be distinct and not cluttered: The user should be able to easily find the right category for their issue

2. Need for Doctor Information During Booking:

• Feature to re-book appointments with previously visited doctors.

• Have access to staff/doctor details including gender, years of experience, field of expertise, and reviews.
  
  

3. Emergency services:

• A distinct emergency services section on the homepage.

• Ensure users can access emergency care promptly when needed.

4. Documents management section:

• The document uploads and updates must not be on the homepage.

• Users must easily locate, upload medical documents, and receive immediate feedback.

• Seamless access to previously uploaded documents.

5. Pre-appointment information:

• Section for Upcoming appointments details: A distinct section to view upcoming visits with date, time, and purpose.

• Appointment Reminders: Timely reminders, including instructions like wearing a mask and arriving early.
  
  

6.         Post-appointment information/instruction:

• Access to post-visit information on the app: doctor and details of visit, medication, next steps, and treatment recommendations.
  
  

7.         Medication Section:

• A dedicated section to track prescriptions from doctors, and view prescription instructions.

• Medication application forms within this section.

8.        Enhanced Portal Features:

• Auto-filling of  student information during appointment booking, check-in etc.

• Necessary details about the health services: purpose, location, contact info, services offered, and staff profiles.

Target Users

The target users are RIT students who utilize SHC's services. The students who pay wellness fees as part of their tuition are most likely our target audience, as they are eligible for the complimentary services they offer. International students are one of the demographics we are focusing on, as many students are unfamiliar with the American healthcare system and are always confused with the services SHC provides. However, based on what we found, international students and everyone who needs medical support through SHC are the target. 

Outline of Prototype Functions

Some features, such as live chat features, should be kept for the next version. It is a great communication channel in the wellness portal. For instance, wellness staff assistants can assist students if they struggle with making appointments. Through the data collection and visualization process, we find that there are no notifications or confirmation/reminder emails students receive, which could be a new function the portal can have. Then, the Kiosk can be kept in the SHC. However, the wellness portal should have a substitute Kiosk feature, and students can input all necessary information through the portal instead of the Kiosk at SHC. 

Consideration of User Interaction (UI)

On the main wellness portal, there should be a clear signifier for scheduling a visit to SHC and live chat features so these two essential features are accessible and highly visible. Visibility of these features is essential, and these two live chat and scheduling features should be more obvious and on the main page instead of the menu bar. Adding Q&A and an instruction page is important to navigate first-time users not only on the portal but also throughout the entire process of utilizing SHC service. On top of these updates, translation features will be an asset to the usability of the portal, especially for international students and some others who do not speak English as their first language. On top of organizing information, the delivery language may support some students efficiently. Based on the consideration, we came up with some requirements for the next milestone phase.