Improving the User Experience in Healthcare through Service Design: Developing a Digital Identity for Patients

Current healthcare systems are decentralized and siloed, comprised of multiple technologies and platforms lacking integration. Because of the absence of consolidated medical records, patient care is based on incomplete information. Currently, patients have limited access or control of their health records. A shift in ownership of medical records to the patient would serve to improve the user experience while supporting a more useful integration of patient information within the healthcare system. The field of service design examines the systems and processes at work in a chain of relationships with the goal of seeking out opportunities for improving a users experience. This thesis contributes to service design discourse by demonstrating the value of adopting a service design framework for the development of a blockchain-based digital platform to serve as a secure patient record repository. Six healthcare providers and six patients of care participated in two studies. The first study comprised of in-depth interviews and co-design sessions. The results revealed pain points within the current healthcare system which were categorized into six themes: communication, care, control, privacy, information and repetition. In response, a blockchain-based digital mobile application prototype was designed to address the pain points. The application places the patient at the forefront of their care journey by giving them ownership over their electronic medical records. In the second study, the prototype was tested with the same 12 participants through a user-testing session. Responses from the second study showed patients were satisfied with the features. Healthcare providers thought the application would improve their work experience and interactions with patients. Additionally, two studies demonstrate the value of adopting a service design methodology to improve service experiences. This framework can be applied to improve user experiences in digital transformations within healthcare.