Rocket Doctor
Rocket Doctor
Designing of Rocket Doctor’s referral system for doctors to refer patients to specialists.
Rocket Doctor
Designing of Rocket Doctor’s referral system for doctors to refer patients to specialists.
Duration: April- August 2024 (4 months)
Team: 1 Product Manager, 5 Developers
My Role: Product Designer
Result: Improved referral completion rates and reduced administrative delays
Result: Improved referral completion rates and reduced administrative delays
Duration: April- August 2024 (4 months)
Team: 1 Product Manager, 5 Developers
My Role: Product Designer
Result: Improved referral completion rates and reduced administrative delays
PROBLEM
Referral systems are outdated.
Each year, clinicians make over 100 million specialist referrals, yet up to half of these go uncompleted. I designed a simplified referral process that allows doctors to easily search for specialists based on patient needs and insurance coverage. By quickly inputting patient symptoms and insurance information, doctors can generate a tailored list of recommended specialists.
Outdated referral system relied on paper-based processes.
KEY INSIGHTS
PROBLEM
I pitched expanding the scope of the initial task based on my research
Through interviewing 5 care team members, and 1 doctor, I found:
Referral systems typically don’t account for geographical constraints or specialists’ actual availability. As a result, patients are often referred to providers who are either too far away or unavailable within the required timeframe, which increases wait times.
Despite some digitalization, many referral platforms still impose a heavy administrative burden on healthcare staff—follow‑ups, phone calls, and faxes remain necessary to keep referrals moving smoothly.
Referral systems often overlook the complexities of insurance pre‑authorizations, causing delays or preventing patients from seeing specialists in a timely manner.
Referral systems are outdated.
Each year, clinicians make over 100 million specialist referrals, yet up to half of these go uncompleted. I designed a simplified referral process that allows doctors to easily search for specialists based on patient needs and insurance coverage. By quickly inputting patient symptoms and insurance information, doctors can generate a tailored list of recommended specialists.
Outdated referral system relied on paper-based processes.
KEY INSIGHTS
I pitched expanding the scope of the initial task based on my research
Through interviewing 5 care team members, and 1 doctor, I found:
Referral systems typically don’t account for geographical constraints or specialists’ actual availability. As a result, patients are often referred to providers who are either too far away or unavailable within the required timeframe, which increases wait times.
Despite some digitalization, many referral platforms still impose a heavy administrative burden on healthcare staff—follow‑ups, phone calls, and faxes remain necessary to keep referrals moving smoothly.
Referral systems often overlook the complexities of insurance pre‑authorizations, causing delays or preventing patients from seeing specialists in a timely manner.
EXPLORATION #1
Enhancing patient engagement: multiple notification channels for referral updates
To keep patients informed throughout the referral process, I designed multiple notification channels. Patients receive updates via email, ensuring they stay informed even when not actively using the platform. Additionally, in‑platform messages provide real‑time updates during telehealth sessions, and a dedicated section on their dashboard offers a centralized location for tracking referral status.
The patient can receive a notification about the status of their referral
Patients receive referral status updates through email
On the 'Doctors' page, patients can find the referred specialist along with the other doctors they've visited.
USER TESTING
Collaborative User Testing with Doctors and Team: Refining the Electronic Referral System
I conducted user testing with three doctors, the product lead, three care team members, and the CEO at Rocket Doctor. Based on their feedback, I made two key improvements: I set one field as required and made two others optional, and I enhanced the prominence of notifications.
Improvement #1: Adding more search criteria to narrow down the list of specialists up-front.
Recommendation #2: Make the notification more clickable.
ITERATION
The current UI for Rocket Doctor feels outdated, with a cluttered interface and complex navigation that can frustrate both patients and healthcare providers. This makes it difficult to quickly access essential information or complete tasks efficiently. I updated key elements like layouts, color schemes, and icons to ensure the design is fresh, accessible, and aligned with modern healthcare technology standards.
The previous design was visually outdated.
Updated 39+ components to a more modern look and feel.
Before
After
Making things look more modern
ENG HANDOFF
Client reactions
The client responded enthusiastically to the referral system, praising its ability to reduce manual tasks and improve communication between clinicians and patients. Usability tests showed it decreased referral processing time by 40% and increased patient engagement through multiple notification channels by 25%.
ENG HANDOFF
Delivering the Finalized Referral System to Rocket Doctor
Delivering the finalized referral system to Rocket Doctor was a significant milestone. For the engineering handoff, I supplied annotated wireframes, user flow diagrams, and a breakdown of each design element—including patient consent options, notification pathways, and form‑field logic with required versus optional conditions. I also created a style guide to maintain UI consistency and documented edge‑case scenarios to prevent development issues. During a live walkthrough with the engineering team, I clarified integration points, answered questions, and ensured everyone understood the design intent for a smooth, efficient implementation.
Documentation I provided for Rocket Doctor
EXPLORATION #2
Improving the approach for securing patient consent to share medical records with specialists.
To boost engagement, I added interactive touchpoints to the patient consent process. This enhancement lets patients thoroughly review details and confirm their understanding before consenting, creating a more transparent, patient‑centered experience.
Patients receive a lightweight text asking for consent to send medical records.
USER FLOW
Designing a 5-step referral system
I designed a system that keeps administrators, doctors, and patients fully informed throughout the referral process. The workflow is as follows:
Dr. Doyle selects the patient who needs a referral.
The doctor specifies the reason for visit and the required specialty.
The platform generates a list of specialists that best match the patient’s insurance, proximity, availability, and ratings.
Dr. Doyle chooses a specialist and submits the referral form.
Once submitted, the patient is notified via email (and in-app chat) that a specialist has been matched.
USER FLOW
Designing a 5-step referral system
I designed a system that keeps administrators, doctors, and patients fully informed throughout the referral process. Steps:
Referral systems typically don’t factor in the geographical limitations and actual availability of specialists. This leads to inefficient referral recommendations, where patients are sent to specialists who are either too far or not available in the required time frame, increasing wait times.
Despite some level of digitalization, many referral systems don’t reduce the administrative burden on healthcare staff. The need for follow-ups, phone calls, and faxes to ensure smooth transitions remains high.
Referral systems often don't account for the complexities around insurance pre-authorizations, which can delay or prevent patients from seeing specialists in a timely manner.
New referral system I designed
How can we design a referral system that seamlessly connects patients with specialists, ensures insurance compatibility, and enhances care coordination?
How can we design a referral system that seamlessly connects patients with specialists, ensures insurance compatibility, and enhances care coordination?
How can we design a referral system that seamlessly connects patients with specialists, ensures insurance compatibility, and enhances care coordination?
Each year, clinicians make over 100 million specialist referrals, yet up to half of these go uncompleted. I designed a simplified referral process that allows doctors to easily search for specialists based on patient needs and insurance coverage. By quickly inputting patient symptoms and insurance information, doctors can generate a tailored list of recommended specialists.
Referral systems are outdated.
PROBLEM
Outdated referral system relied on paper-based processes.
Through interviewing 5 care team members, and 1 doctor, I found:
I pitched expanding the scope of the initial task based on my research
are outdated.
KEY INSIGHTS
Referral systems typically don’t account for geographical constraints or specialists’ actual availability. As a result, patients are often referred to providers who are either too far away or unavailable within the required timeframe, which increases wait times.
Despite some digitalization, many referral platforms still impose a heavy administrative burden on healthcare staff—follow‑ups, phone calls, and faxes remain necessary to keep referrals moving smoothly.
Referral systems often overlook the complexities of insurance pre‑authorizations, causing delays or preventing patients from seeing specialists in a timely manner.
The client responded enthusiastically to the referral system, praising its ability to reduce manual tasks and improve communication between clinicians and patients. Usability tests showed it decreased referral processing time by 40% and increased patient engagement through multiple notification channels by 25%.
Client Reactions
IMPACT
Delivering the finalized referral system to Rocket Doctor was a significant milestone. For the engineering handoff, I supplied annotated wireframes, user flow diagrams, and a breakdown of each design element—including patient consent options, notification pathways, and form‑field logic with required versus optional conditions. I also created a style guide to maintain UI consistency and documented edge‑case scenarios to prevent development issues. During a live walkthrough with the engineering team, I clarified integration points, answered questions, and ensured everyone understood the design intent for a smooth, efficient implementation.
Delivering the Finalized Referral System to Rocket Doctor
ENG HANDOFF
Documentation I provided for Rocket Doctor
The current UI for Rocket Doctor feels outdated, with a cluttered interface and complex navigation that can frustrate both patients and healthcare providers. This makes it difficult to quickly access essential information or complete tasks efficiently. I updated key elements like layouts, color schemes, and icons to ensure the design is fresh, accessible, and aligned with modern healthcare technology standards.
Making things look more modern
ITERATION
Before
After
The previous design was visually outdated.
Updated 39+ components to a more modern look and feel.
I conducted user testing with three doctors, the product lead, three care team members, and the CEO at Rocket Doctor. Based on their feedback, I made two key improvements: I set one field as required and made two others optional, and I enhanced the prominence of notifications.
Collaborative User Testing with Doctors and Team: Refining the Electronic Referral System
USER TESTING
Improvement #1: Adding more search criteria to narrow down the list of specialists up-front.
Recommendation #2: Make the notification more clickable.
To boost engagement, I added interactive touchpoints to the patient consent process. This enhancement lets patients thoroughly review details and confirm their understanding before consenting, creating a more transparent, patient‑centered experience.
Improving the approach for securing patient consent to share medical records with specialists.
EXPLORATION #2
Patients receive a lightweight text asking for consent to send medical records.
To keep patients informed throughout the referral process, I designed multiple notification channels. Patients receive updates via email, ensuring they stay informed even when not actively using the platform. Additionally, in‑platform messages provide real‑time updates during telehealth sessions, and a dedicated section on their dashboard offers a centralized location for tracking referral status.
Enhancing patient engagement: multiple notification channels for referral updates
EXPLORATION #1
The patient can receive a notification about the status of their referral.
Patients receive referral status updates through email.
On the 'Doctors' page, patients can find the referred specialist along with the other doctors they've visited.
I designed a system that keeps administrators, doctors, and patients fully informed throughout the referral process. The workflow is as follows:
Designing a 5-step referral system
USER FLOW
Dr. Doyle selects the patient who needs a referral.
The doctor specifies the reason for visit and the required specialty.
The platform generates a list of specialists that best match the patient’s insurance, proximity, availability, and ratings.
Dr. Doyle chooses a specialist and submits the referral form
Once submitted, the patient is notified via email (and in-app chat) that a specialist has been matched.
New referral system I designed
How can we design a referral system that seamlessly connects patients with specialists, ensures insurance compatibility, and enhances care coordination?
USER FLOW
Designing a 5-step referral system
I designed a system that keeps administrators, doctors, and patients fully informed throughout the referral process. The workflow is as follows:
Dr. Doyle selects the patient who needs a referral.
The doctor specifies the reason for visit and the required specialty.
The platform generates a list of specialists that best match the patient’s insurance, proximity, availability, and ratings.
Dr. Doyle chooses a specialist and submits the referral form.
Once submitted, the patient is notified via email (and in-app chat) that a specialist has been matched.
New referral system I designed
EXPLORATION #1
Enhancing patient engagement: multiple notification channels for referral updates
To keep patients informed throughout the referral process, I designed multiple notification channels. Patients receive updates via email, ensuring they stay informed even when not actively using the platform. Additionally, in‑platform messages provide real‑time updates during telehealth sessions, and a dedicated section on their dashboard offers a centralized location for tracking referral status.
The patient can receive a notification about the status of their referral.
Patients receive referral status updates through email.
On the 'Doctors' page, patients can find the referred specialist along with the other doctors they've visited.
EXPLORATION #2
Improving the approach for securing patient consent to share medical records with specialists.
To boost engagement, I added interactive touchpoints to the patient consent process. This enhancement lets patients thoroughly review details and confirm their understanding before consenting, creating a more transparent, patient‑centered experience.
Patients receive a lightweight text asking for consent to send medical records
I introduced an additional method for obtaining patient consent to enhance engagement beyond the original plan. Initially, the process was straightforward, but I saw an opportunity to increase patient involvement by adding interactive touchpoints. This new approach allowed patients to review the details thoroughly and confirm their understanding before providing consent, making the experience more transparent and patient-centered.
USER TESTING
Collaborative User Testing with Doctors and Team: Refining the Electronic Referral System
I conducted user testing with three doctors, the product lead, three care team members, and the CEO at Rocket Doctor. Based on their feedback, I made two key improvements: I set one field as required and made two others optional, and I enhanced the prominence of notifications.
Improvement #1: Adding more search criteria to narrow down the list of specialists up-front
Recommendation #2: Make the notification more clickable.
I conducted user testing with 3 doctors at Rocket Doctor, 1 Product Lead, 3 Care Team, and CEO of Rocket Doctor. There were 2 key improvements that I made based on testing: making two fields optional while setting one field as required and ensuring notifications were more prominent.
ITERATION
Making things look more modern
The current UI for Rocket Doctor feels outdated, with a cluttered interface and complex navigation that can frustrate both patients and healthcare providers. This makes it difficult to quickly access essential information or complete tasks efficiently. I updated key elements like layouts, color schemes, and icons to ensure the design is fresh, accessible, and aligned with modern healthcare technology standards.
Updated 39+ components to a more modern look and feel.
The previous design was visually outdated.
The current UI for Rocket Doctor feels outdated. Its cluttered interface and complex navigation can frustrate both patients and healthcare providers, making it harder to quickly access essential information or complete tasks efficiently. I updated key elements such as layouts, color schemes, and icons ensuring that the design feels fresh, accessible, and aligned with modern healthcare technology standards.
Before
After
ENG HANDOFF
Delivering the Finalized Referral System to Rocket Doctor
Delivering the finalized referral system to Rocket Doctor was a significant milestone. For the engineering handoff, I supplied annotated wireframes, user flow diagrams, and a breakdown of each design element—including patient consent options, notification pathways, and form‑field logic with required versus optional conditions. I also created a style guide to maintain UI consistency and documented edge‑case scenarios to prevent development issues. During a live walkthrough with the engineering team, I clarified integration points, answered questions, and ensured everyone understood the design intent for a smooth, efficient implementation.
Delivering the finalized referral system to Rocket Doctor was a significant milestone. For the engineering handoff, I supplied annotated wireframes, user flow diagrams, and a breakdown of each design element—including patient consent options, notification pathways, and form‑field logic with required versus optional conditions. I also created a style guide to maintain UI consistency and documented edge‑case scenarios to prevent development issues. During a live walkthrough with the engineering team, I clarified integration points, answered questions, and ensured everyone understood the design intent for a smooth, efficient implementation.
Documentation I provided for Rocket Doctor
IMPACT
EXPLORATION #2
The client responded enthusiastically to the referral system, praising its ability to reduce manual tasks and improve communication between clinicians and patients. Usability tests showed it decreased referral processing time by 40% and increased patient engagement through multiple notification channels by 25%.
To boost engagement, I added interactive touchpoints to the patient consent process. This enhancement lets patients thoroughly review details and confirm their understanding before consenting, creating a more transparent, patient‑centered experience.
The client responded enthusiastically to the referral system, praising its ability to reduce manual tasks and improve communication between clinicians and patients. Usability tests showed it decreased referral processing time by 40% and increased patient engagement through multiple notification channels by 25%.
Patients receive a lightweight text asking for consent to send medical records
Client reactions
Improving the approach for securing patient consent to share medical records with specialists.
ITERATION
Making things look more modern
The current UI for Rocket Doctor feels outdated, with a cluttered interface and complex navigation that can frustrate both patients and healthcare providers. This makes it difficult to quickly access essential information or complete tasks efficiently. I updated key elements like layouts, color schemes, and icons to ensure the design is fresh, accessible, and aligned with modern healthcare technology standards.
Before
After
Updated 39+ components to a more modern look and feel.
The previous design was visually outdated.
USER TESTING
Collaborative User Testing with Doctors and Team: Refining the Electronic Referral System
I conducted user testing with three doctors, the product lead, three care team members, and the CEO at Rocket Doctor. Based on their feedback, I made two key improvements: I set one field as required and made two others optional, and I enhanced the prominence of notifications.
Improvement #1: Adding more search criteria to narrow down the list of specialists up-front
Recommendation #2: Make the notification more clickable
ENG HANDOFF
Delivering the Finalized Referral System to Rocket Doctor
Delivering the finalized referral system to Rocket Doctor was a significant milestone. For the engineering handoff, I supplied annotated wireframes, user flow diagrams, and a breakdown of each design element—including patient consent options, notification pathways, and form‑field logic with required versus optional conditions. I also created a style guide to maintain UI consistency and documented edge‑case scenarios to prevent development issues. During a live walkthrough with the engineering team, I clarified integration points, answered questions, and ensured everyone understood the design intent for a smooth, efficient implementation.
Documentation I provided for Rocket Doctor
IMPACT
Client reactions
The client responded enthusiastically to the referral system, praising its ability to reduce manual tasks and improve communication between clinicians and patients. Usability tests showed it decreased referral processing time by 40% and increased patient engagement through multiple notification channels by 25%.
PROBLEM
Referral systems are outdated.
Each year, clinicians make over 100 million specialist referrals, yet up to half of these go uncompleted. I designed a simplified referral process that allows doctors to easily search for specialists based on patient needs and insurance coverage. By quickly inputting patient symptoms and insurance information, doctors can generate a tailored list of recommended specialists.
Outdated referral system relied on paper-based processes.
KEY INSIGHTS
Through interviewing 5 care team members, and 1 doctor, I found:
Referral systems typically don’t account for geographical constraints or specialists’ actual availability. As a result, patients are often referred to providers who are either too far away or unavailable within the required timeframe, which increases wait times.
Despite some digitalization, many referral platforms still impose a heavy administrative burden on healthcare staff—follow‑ups, phone calls, and faxes remain necessary to keep referrals moving smoothly.
Referral systems often overlook the complexities of insurance pre‑authorizations, causing delays or preventing patients from seeing specialists in a timely manner.
I pitched expanding the scope of the initial task based on my research
EXPLORATION #1
To keep patients informed throughout the referral process, I designed multiple notification channels. Patients receive updates via email, ensuring they stay informed even when not actively using the platform. Additionally, in‑platform messages provide real‑time updates during telehealth sessions, and a dedicated section on their dashboard offers a centralized location for tracking referral status.
The patient can receive a notification about the status of their referral.
Patients receive referral status updates through email.
On the 'Doctors' page, patients can find the referred specialist along with the other doctors they've visited.
Enhancing patient engagement: multiple notification channels for referral updates
USER FLOW
I designed a system that keeps administrators, doctors, and patients fully informed throughout the referral process. The workflow is as follows:
Dr. Doyle selects the patient who needs a referral.
The doctor specifies the reason for visit and the required specialty.
The platform generates a list of specialists that best match the patient’s insurance, proximity, availability, and ratings.
Dr. Doyle chooses a specialist and submits the referral form.
Once submitted, the patient is notified via email (and in-app chat) that a specialist has been matched.
New referral system I designed
Designing a 5-step referral system
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