Planned Parenthood Prepared
(8 weeks)
Zoe Marin
Viktoriya Kim
Emily Jane
Overview
Planned Parenthood is a nonprofit organization providing low-cost sexual healthcare in the U.S. This was an 8-week academic project focused on reimagining the waiting room experience for Planned Parenthood patients. What we learned about safety, privacy, and the different stages of the patient journey lead us to create a mobile dashboard for patients to prepare for upcoming appointments with a private check-in process and service curated information.
This project was purely conceptual and not affiliated with Planned Parenthood.
INTRODUCTION
A disjointed digital hunt
Picture yourself as a 16-year-old girl, anxiously entering Planned Parenthood. Your night before was a blur of endless online searches about birth control, leaving you with a confusing jumble of articles, videos, and Reddit threads. Now, sitting in the waiting room, you’re trying to piece together these fragments of information to understand your options, all while keeping your visit a secret from your parents. Adding to the stress is the long, uncertain wait time making you feel even more anxious. This long wait, on top of the struggle to find reliable information turns the visit into something daunting and stressful.
This is one of the many types of experiences we found Planned Parenthood patients will go through leading up to their appointment. Because there is no singular place where patients can access all relevant information about their service including questions to ask their doctor, setting expectations, and understanding other people’s experiences — they have to take matters into their own hands.
So we set off on our own digital hunt to understand how this problem can be resolved.
IDENTIFYING
What is the problem with the current Planned Parenthood patient experience?
Planned Parenthood has several platforms — the main website, a basic patient portal, and a lesser known mobile app. However the problem with these platforms is not the lack of information or resources but the loss of time patients experience jumping between these platforms to find the specific type of information they need prior to their visit.
By the time they understand what other people’s experiences are like, set expectations on whether they’re a good match, confirm the acceptance of their insurance, and estimate the duration of their visit, several hours have already been invested. Pair that with the vague amount of time they spend in a waiting room and you’ve got a recipe for distress.
Thus we were lead to ask the question of…
HOW MIGHT WE...
rethink the Planned Parenthood waiting room experience so patients feel informed, reassured, and prepared while waiting for their service?
Visiting Planned Parenthood clinics
To gain genuine insight, experiencing the environment firsthand is key. With this in mind, our team visited several Planned Parenthood clinics in the Los Angeles area. This allowed us to closely understand the patient experience.
All clinics have a surplus of patients regardless of the hour/day.
Even with an appointment, there's no telling how long you'll wait.
Most people relied on their phones to keep themselves occupied.
GATHERING SECONDARY RESEARCH
Understanding how patients view their experience
After our visits to the clinics, we dove deeper into understanding the patient experience through a variety of research methods. This helped us zero in on the facts and gather firsthand accounts of what patients really go through. Below is a brief summary with the main takeaways.
Our research approach:
- We reviewed Planned Parenthood’s annual reports to gather demographic data on their patients and the the most common visit reasons.
- We conducted an online survey that received close to 200 responses, asking individuals to share what their experiences have been like in medical waiting rooms.
- We created a netnography by examining Planned Parenthood’s presence across social media and review platforms, including Yelp and Google reviews, Reddit threads, and videos on YouTube and TikTok. Our goal was to capture how patients genuinely felt.
Key discoveries:
Nearly 1/2 of patients are low-income teenagers and young adults
Planned Parenthood serves over 2 million patients annually, 42% of which are between the ages 18-25, and 70% live at or below the federal poverty line.
Updates on wait time help emotionally support patients
People generally understood that clinic wait times can be unpredictable. However, they greatly appreciated receiving regular updates on their wait status. This allowed them to manage their expectations and change their plans accordingly.
Confidentiality as a priority
The top two reasons patients chose Planned Parenthood over other clinics is the low cost of service and confidentiality. This highlights the organization’s commitment to patient privacy and accessibility.
INTERVIEWING A MEDICAL OFFICE MANAGER
Designing for transparency
We also connected with Laura G, a medical office manager, who shared some insights on managing patient expectations. Laura told us that when patients start to feel restless, the staff explains, “There’s been a situation today. We’re running x minutes behind schedule. Don’t worry, the doctor will hear you out and dedicate just as much quality time with you.” This approach often soothes patients because it provides a clear reason for the delay and sets their expectations, allowing them to adjust accordingly.
This got our team thinking: wouldn’t it be great if patients were kept in the loop at every stage, not just when they arrived in the waiting room?
Inspired by this, we realized our goal was to design a solution that emphasizes transparency. The more transparent we can be, the more patients can feel like they’re equipped every step of the way prior to their visit.
IMPROVING THE PATIENT JOURNEY
Mapping a better experience
After gathering all our research, we consolidated it into two patient journey maps — current and future state. By comparing the current journey map with a potential improved version, we were able to pinpoint key areas where things can improve. This strategy allowed us to identify where we could make the most impact—specifically, during the pre-appointment phase and on the day of the appointment itself.
We also discovered that focusing on the early stages of the patient experience can significantly enhance a patient’s overall impression of the service. That means, the sooner we can engage with and support patients, the more valued and cared for they will feel.
DRAWING THE FUTURE
Preparing patients digitally: from idea to storyboard
After considering everything we've learned, we discussed various ideas and decided on sending a digital info pack to patients before their appointments. This way, patients can feel more prepared and supported, having all the necessary information at their fingertips. We then mapped out how this would work through a storyboard, visualizing how patients would interact with this idea.
One of the challenges we ran into was how to categorize the right information to be shown at just the right time. We didn’t want to overwhelm patients by introducing unnecessary information since our goal was to simplify the mental process patients went through to prepare for their appointment.
We opted to host a closed virtual card sorting exercise, where participants were asked to organize virtual sticky notes into three categories, ranking them by importance. This method ensured the information flow is intuitive and aligned with patient needs.
SKETCHING THE FIRST DRAFTS
Creating initial prototypes
With our information hierarchy as a guide, we quickly assembled a prototype consisting of various cards that could be rearranged according to their relevance and the patient's stage in their journey.
The highlight of our designs is a custom dashboard view sent straight to patients through a secure text message 1-2 days before their appointment. We wanted to make things super easy for patients by giving them all the important information they would usually spend hours looking for, helping them get ready for their visit without the hassle.
A MAJOR INSIGHT FROM USER TESTING
The importance of safety in the check-in process
When we put our initial designs through user testing, we discovered something important. The wording and privacy of the text message reminders were a huge concern for Planned Parenthood’s younger patients, who make up a large portion of their demographics.
“Thinking about people in other situations where maybe they don’t live in a safe environment, keeping it more vague is protecting the safety of the patients.” - Chandelle (A Planned Parenthood patient who participated in user testing)
To address this issue, we revised the contents of the message and implemented a PIN code feature. Patients get a code via email, allowing them secure access to their pre-appointment link and custom dashboard. Additionally, they have the option to choose between text or email for their communication preferences.
Advance Check-In Online
Advance check-in makes your clinic visits hassle-free by allowing you to fill out medical forms beforehand. Get a snapshot of your appointment, including service details and visit expectations, plus advice on what to bring. It's your one-stop prep for a smoother experience.
Appointment Insight
Get a clear estimate of your wait time on the day of your appointment, allowing you to plan accordingly. Access a curated list of suggested questions to ask your doctor based on your service type, adding any additional concerns or questions to make the most of your visit.
Get to Know Your Care Team & Clinic
Get acquainted with the staff and doctor you'll see on appointment day, along with clear guidance on how to find and enter the clinic. Our goal is to simplify your journey, offering a warm welcome and a seamless path to your appointment.
THANK YOU FOR READING!
Post Project Reflections
How I would expand on this project
If I had the opportunity to expand further on this project, I'd love to tackle the challenge of streamlining online forms and making insurance payments more straightforward. One patient we interviewed shared a story about how she wished she knew about the different payment resources Planned Parenthood offers like Family Pact and student discounts for those who can’t afford to pay out of pocket. She wishes there was a cost calculator and an easily found page with all those payment resources available. In fact, many people from our user research showed interest in seeing something created towards medical data collection.
A salute to a stellar team ☻
This project came to life while I was part of the Interaction Design Program at Santa Monica College, and I had the amazing opportunity to collaborate with some phenomenal human beings. Over the eight weeks we worked together, I was continuously impressed by their creativity, hard work, and kindness. They are exceptional designers and genuinely some of the most outstanding people I’ve ever met. This project also holds a special place in my heart as it sparked my passion for healthcare design and has opened doors to new opportunities.
BLUEPRINT SERVICE MAP
Planning for integration within Planned Parenthood’s existing services
This project kicked off during a Service Design course, where our final task was to whip up a service blueprint. I've left this bit for the end as a bonus insight. If you've made it this far, here's what you need to know: This blueprint is basically a game plan for how our concept might slot into pre-existing interactions at Planned Parenthood between patients and the medical staff. We aimed to bridge the gap between various touch-points, from the clinical side to backend operations and straight to the patients on the frontend. Putting this map together also turned out to be super helpful when thinking about the future because it helped us foresee how our concept might need to be revised so it can mesh better within the existing medical system.
