Brief
Queer, trans, and non-binary identified people often experience barriers to healthcare services for a variety of reasons, including discrimination and lack of awareness by providers. Research shows that queer, trans, and non-binary adults are more likely to be uninsured and have unmet healthcare needs, and are less likely to seek out routine care compared to cisgender (non-trans) people.
Q-Link is a mobile app that seeks to address this gap in care by connecting queer, trans and non-binary users to LGBTQIA+ friendly healthcare providers. With features like reviews and a robust vetting process for providers, Q-Link prioritizes safety and transparency for users while also incorporating useful functions like search filters and provider maps.
Process
My challenge was to create an MVP prototype over the course of two weeks. I started by developing a survey to understand the basic landscape of trans and queer healthcare. Based on responses, I reached out to users for in-person interviews and synthesized my findings using “I statements”, developed personas, and a user journey. Finally, I sketched my concept, tested low-fidelity wireframes and iterated based on user feedback.
Understanding the user: Screener Survey
I developed a 21-question survey designed to capture users’ experiences in the healthcare system, from searching for providers, to filling out intake paperwork, to interactions with office staff.
INitial Findings
48 respondents, ages 15 to 45:
65% of respondents identified as non-binary or gender fluid.
81% of respondents had visited a medical doctor in the past 12 months.
73% of respondents had seen a mental health professional in the past 12 months.
22% were uninsured.
60% said they were NOT comfortable talking to their provider about their gender identity.
70% strongly agreed that they wish their provider knew more about queer/trans issues.
91% said they would prefer going to a provider who is proven to be LGBTQIA+ friendly.
84% agreed or strongly agreed that it’s hard to find providers that are LGBTQIA+ friendly.
In-Person Interviews
5 respondents were contacted for 30-min follow up interviews. Interviewees were diverse in age, race, gender identity, and socioeconomic status in order to capture a wide range of experiences. Interviewees were asked to share more about recent interactions with primary care providers, specialists, and mental health professionals. Interviewees were also asked to share what factors they considered when choosing a healthcare provider.
Research synthesis: Affinity Mapping + “I…” Statements
I used affinity mapping to synthesize my survey and interview findings. I used a “I..” Statements (or problem statements) to categorize user needs, pain points, characteristics, and goals.
Key Insights
Most users have had a positive experience with a primary care provider or mental health professional in the past year.
However, most interactions with specialists and non-primary providers had been negative or challenging.
Some users said they will not see the same provider more than once and that they avoid disclosing their gender identity to new providers because they are unsure how a provider will react.
Most users have had challenges with providers that claim to be LGBTQIA+ friendly online, but turn out to be less knowledgeable or affirming in real life.
Cost and insurance are the most important factors for users when choosing a provider, regardless of a provider’s knowledge or stance on LGBTQIA+ issues.
Personas
I used my key insights to inform two user personas: Sammie and Jade. I used these personas to develop user journeys and orient my design decisions in my next steps.
Click to enlarge.
Click to enlarge.
User Journey
Sammie’s user journey reflects the experience of many survey respondents and interviewees when navigating the healthcare system. I used this journey map to identify critical pain points that could be addressed by Q-link.
FEATURE PRIORITIZATION
I compared possible features based on user impact and how easy they would be to implement and test with my remaining time. My list of possible feature was generated by imagining solutions to the “I…” statements created during my affinity mapping. For example, “I care about pronouns,” could be addressed by inclusive onboarding or the ability to share profile info with providers, and “I want to hear from other patients,” could be addressed with reviews and provider vetting.
To make the most out of my restricted timeline, I decided to focus on inclusive onboarding, the ability to connect insurance information and filter by network, a provider list and map with reviews, and a filtered search option.
Why is onboarding important?
Every interviewee and survey respondent expressed that they were most frustrated by providers that did not remember their pronouns and didn’t listen to their concerns. Even though Q-Link has limited control over how users are treated within the walls of a doctors office, I wanted to improve the user’s overall experience by making them feel heard from the very beginning.
I attempted to accomplish this with an onboarding that included casual, friendly copy, simple screens, helpful features and engaging interactions.
Initial Sketches
Refined Sketches
User Testing
I conducted a series of user tests on low-fidelity wireframes based on my sketches.
Iterations based on Testing
I made a few key iterations based on feedback from user tests. Most iterations involved adding affordance through color, opacity, symbols, or copy to drive users towards a certain action or clarify next steps.
Final Wireframes + Prototype
After implementing the above iterations and testing to verify changes, I used the following wireframes to develop a mid-fidelity prototype.
Summary
Q-Link is designed to connect queer, trans and non-binary users to vital healthcare services that are safe, affirming, and accessible. Based on my research, users encountered the most frustration when they felt like they weren’t being heard or affirmed by their providers. Phase 1 of this project focused on designing a robust onboarding experience to help users feel empowered from the very beginning and designing basic features like maps and filters. Phase 2 of this project will focus on building out additional MVP features and incorporating lively user interactions.
Next Steps
Sketch, wireframe, and prototype additional MVP features like reviews and provider profiles.
Test mid-fidelity prototype with target users.
Create visual mockups.
Develop brand guide and funding strategy.