The full case study
HealthLink, step by step
On this page · 8 sections
About the business
HealthLink Telehealth is an innovative telehealth provider based in the Northeast. The company delivers virtual healthcare services across multiple states and serves over 15K patients. They offer virtual consultations, urgent care, and follow-up care for chronic conditions.
The company already had a telehealth platform, but unfortunately it was not ready to the rapid increase of users and lacked advanced technologies. So our goal was to perform a UX and tech audit of the telehealth platform.
Project tasks and challenges
Our client faced several challenges influencing the business and work of the telehealth platform:
- Scalability Issues: Their existing telehealth platform could not handle the rapid increase in patient volume.
- Outdated Technology: The patient portal was built using old technologies that led to frequent downtimes and poor UX.
- Integration Difficulties: Our client experienced lack of integrations with other healthcare systems. So seamless data exchange and continuity of care was impossible.
- Security Concerns: Ensuring data security and compliance with healthcare regulations was increasingly challenging with their existing setup.
Considering all these challenges, we prepared a plan for further action. Here is what we needed to do:
- perform UX and tech audit of the telehealth platform
- provide a modernization plan and project roadmap
- select new technologies to improve user experience
- perform platform redesign and integration of services with required healthcare systems
- help our client to move from old to new technologies
Project team
- Project Manager
- Business Analyst
- 2 UX/UI designers
- 3 Front-end developers
- 2 Back-end developers
- 3 QA engineers
- Software Architect
- DevOps specialist
3.5 months for audit & design
5 months for development & testing
Platform Features
Telehealth Video Consultations
We added real-time video conferencing tools for virtual consultations with healthcare providers. We also took care of reliable video quality to ensure smooth communication during consultations.
Queue View
The platform includes dynamic queue system displaying the list of patients awaiting their virtual consultations. There are convenient real-time updates on the status of each patient in the queue.
Appointment Booking
We integrated an advanced scheduling system helping to manage and book virtual appointments in a couple of clicks. The platform has automated reminders and notifications for all upcoming appointments.
Chat with Patients
There is a secure messaging system for real-time communication between patients and healthcare providers. They can text, send images, and share files and have comprehensive communication about patient condition, treatment and medications.
Billing System
Our engineers integrated a billing system for viewing and paying invoices online. The secure payment gateway helps to handle transactions while ensuring data protection.
Report and E-Prescription
We built tools for doctors allowing to generate and share consultation reports with patients. The E-prescription functionality helps doctors to prescribe medications electronically and send them directly to pharmacies.
Queue View
Our client wanted to improve patient care and service by creating a feature that could dynamically manage and display the list of patients awaiting their virtual consultations.
The idea was to provide patients with real-time updates on the status of the queue, ensuring a smooth and efficient flow for both patients and healthcare providers. We liked this idea and developed a feature that:
- has fast check-in, after which patients get automatically added to the queue
- provides real-time status updates indicating whether patients are waiting, in a consultation, or delayed
- estimates wait times for each patient based on current consultation duration
- provide alerts for upcoming consultations to both
- patients and healthcare providers
- prioritizes patients based on specific criteria, such as medical urgency, provider availability, or appointment type
- lets administrators manage the queue and reassign patients to different providers if necessary.
Chat with Patients
Our engineers created a secure messaging system for real-time communication between patients and healthcare providers. It supports sending texts, images, and file sharing and helps ensure comprehensive and efficient dialogue.
We added a secure login using proven authentication methods. Both patients and healthcare providers can easily initiate chatting in one click. Once they’ve done it, they can exchange information and share files, including medical reports, prescriptions, and treatment plans.
All communications are encrypted to ensure confidentiality and comply with healthcare privacy regulations (HIPAA). The system maintains detailed logs of all interactions for auditing and compliance purposes.
The platform retains the history of conversations, allowing patients and providers to reference previous communications. All chat sessions are integrated with patient profiles, so providers have access to the patient’s medical history, ongoing treatments, and other relevant information during the conversation.
We made messaging interface as intuitive and easy to use as possible, ensuring that patients of all ages and tech-savviness can communicate without any difficulties.
Development approach
Backend Development
We selected Node.js to ensure that server-side operations will be scalable.
Frontend Development
React and React Native were used for responsive web and mobile interfaces.
Database Management
PostgreSQL was used for reliable and secure data storage and management.
Integration
We performed integration with DrChrono, Redox, and Twilio for seamless data exchange and communication.
Security
We implemented advanced encryption techniques and ensured compliance with HIPAA regulations.
Cloud Services
AWS Fargate was selected by our software engineers for easy serverless container management.
Outcome
Improved User Experience
Improved user interfaces design and enhanced product functionality led to 5x higher patient engagement and satisfaction.
Better Data Accuracy
Centralized data management helped to improve data accuracy and integrity.
And automated reporting streamlined regulatory adherence.
Better Interoperability
The integrations with healthcare services helped to enhance communication between different healthcare providers and improve continuity of care, leading to better patient outcomes and satisfaction.
Reduced Number of No-Shows
The new system includes features like automated appointment reminders and patient self-scheduling, which significantly reduced no-show rates to single digits. This led to increased revenue and better patient retention.
Positive Financial Impact
Modernization and redesign of the telehealth platform helped to reduce administrative costs and improve billing processes. Our client already achieved significant ROI through operational efficiencies.
