Why Telehealth to Pets?
Just within the United States, approximately 67% of all households, or about 85 million families, own a pet. In addition to that, the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) has encouraged pet owners the use of telehealth, or the use of technology to access health care services remotely, since the outbreak of the pandemic. Taking all of these into account, We planned to designed a application to enable pet owners to easily connect with their vets online.
Secondary Research
The surge in pet ownership and the growing concern for pet healthcare have propelled the veterinary telehealth market, projected to hit approximately $346.7 million by 2027. Notably, North America takes the lead, claiming a significant 37.2% of the market revenue in 2020. The dominance in this region is influenced by various factors, including substantial investments in animal healthcare. The flourishing industry signals a compelling opportunity for exploration and development.
67%
of U.S. Household, or about 90.5 million families own a pet.
Veterinary Advantage
65%
of pet parents have lied to their boss about taking their pet to the vet
Fuzzy Pet Health
76%
of pet parents think that the most stressful thing is pet getting sick.
Bloomberg
Competitive Research
Before diving into the design, I made sure to check out what others in the pet telehealth world were up to. It was like sizing up the competition, you know? Taking a good look at what they're doing well and where they might be falling short. It helped me get a solid grasp of the landscape before putting my own creative spin on things.
User Interviews
After that, I wanted to really get into the heads and hearts of pet owners, you know? So, I had some cozy chats with six awesome folks aged 21 to 38. They were from all walks of life – students, teachers, even a product designer – and they all shared this beautiful commonality of being pet owners. Talking to them gave me a real feel for what they think, feel, and need.
Here's what really stood out from my heart-to-heart talks with these amazing pet owners
Three of the folks I chatted with felt the need for an app that could help them keep tabs on all their furball's medical records.
Another three were pretty peeved about not knowing the costs upfront. Price transparency, or the lack thereof, really got under their skin.
Can you believe it? Three more shared how the clinic wait times, despite booking ahead, were a real headache.
Getting advice online from a vet? Yup, three of them were all about it. It's like having a vet in your pocket, you know?
Four participants spilled the beans about their worry regarding emergency vet costs. Late-night pet panic? It's a real concern.
Every single one of them was on board with rushing to the vet if their pets looked under the weather. Health comes first!
And guess what? Every single person I spoke to was totally sold on the idea of online vet consults. Quick, convenient, and a real time-saver.
Here are a few things that came up as sources of frustration from participants during interview:
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"The first time I brought my cat to the vet, they did an ultrasound without even asking me first. It ended up costing $75, and I get a bit anxious about the costs because it always feels like a surprise"
"
"Every time we go to the vet, there's this waiting game of at least 20 minutes. It's frustrating, especially when we've made appointments ahead of time. I wish we could just get in and out smoothly."
User Persona
So, after soaking in all the insights from my chats and digging into the research, I put the puzzle pieces together. It was like crafting a story – understanding what the pet owners truly needed and where they were feeling the pinch. Then, I brought it to life by creating a persona. Think of it like painting a picture of a typical pet owner, capturing all those common needs and pain points that kept popping up in our conversations. It's the first step in shaping a product that really fits the bill for them.
Empathy Map
I took a step into the world of our typical pet owner, imagining what it's like to walk in their shoes. This exercise helped me jot down all the things they might be thinking, doing, and feeling. It's like getting into their headspace to truly understand their perspective.
Problem Statement
With the user persona and empathy map handy, I was able to come up with a human-centered problem statement.
User Journey
After that, I decided to get a bit creative in addressing the problem statement. I started brainstorming various situations where our user persona, Jennifer, could find herself needing to use the pet telehealth website.
Scenario
Jennifer, a devoted pet parent, has noticed some concerning symptoms in her beloved dog, Max. She observes that Max has been lethargic and showing signs of discomfort. Worried about his well-being, Jennifer decides to seek advice from a veterinarian.
Research and Discovery
Jennifer uses a search engine to explore veterinary virtual consultations.
She discovers a website that provides virtual consultation services.
Explores Website
Jennifer navigates through the website to learn about its services, including virtual consultations.
She reviews information about available veterinarians, services offered, and consultation procedures.
User Registration
Interested in scheduling a virtual consultation, Jennifer decides to register on the website.
She fills out the registration form, providing her email address and mobile number for communication purposes.
Selection of Veterinarian
After registration, Jennifer browses through the profiles of available veterinarians.
She selects a veterinarian based on qualifications, expertise, and availability.
Selecting Date & Time Slot
Jennifer proceeds to schedule a virtual consultation appointment with her chosen veterinarian.
She selects a suitable date and time slot from the available options, choosing 5 PM in the evening for her appointment.
Payment
Upon selecting the date & time slot, Jennifer is directed to the payment gateway to complete the transaction.
She securely makes the payment for the virtual consultation using her preferred payment method.
Preparing for the Consultation
Before the scheduled consultation, Jennifer prepares relevant information about her pet's symptoms and medical history.
Virtual Consultation
At the appointed time, Jennifer joins the virtual consultation with the selected veterinarian.
She discusses her pet's symptoms and shares necessary details for the veterinarian's assessment.
The veterinarian provides insights, recommendations, and advice regarding her pet's health concerns.
Follow-up and Next Steps
Based on the consultation, the veterinarian suggests follow-up actions, such as medication, observation, or further tests.
Jennifer follows the veterinarian's recommendations and schedules any necessary follow-up appointments or actions.
Information Architecture
Once I mapped out the journey a user would take through the website, I delved into shaping the information architecture. It was like figuring out the best way to organize all the bits of information so that using the website feels like a breeze for anyone.
Ideation & Wireframes
To bring the homepage to life, I got my creative juices flowing and designed wireframe for different ideas. But I didn't stop there—I also designed wireframes for the other pages, and you can check those out right here. And because I wanted the website to be smooth as butter on any device, I made sure the mobile screens had that same cool vibe as the desktop version. Gotta keep it looking good, no matter how you're browsing!
Takeaways & Final Screens
After that, I decided to get a bit creative in addressing the problem statement. I started brainstorming various situations where our user persona, Jennifer, could find herself needing to use the pet telehealth website.
Things To Recall
This project was a good reminder of the importance of use-cases and personas.
Challenges
Not being intimately familiar with the process of pet healthcare posed some challenges. I relied heavily on specifications from the team to understand needs. From there I brought my UX know-how to dictate the appropriate interactions.
Lessons
It’s tough work collecting and extracting objectives from team members who aren’t readily acquainted with what a UXer contributes to a project, which extended the feedback loop. This project was a good reminder of the importance of use-cases and personas.
Pet Parent Dashboard
Dashboard shows the 'Upcoming Appointments' section for pet parents, where they can view their scheduled appointments with veterinarians. Additionally, there's a 'My Healthcare Team' section where pet parents can see the veterinarians associated with their pet's care, providing a convenient overview of their pet's healthcare providers.
Request A Visit
Pet parents are allowed to request a visit with a veterinarian by providing basic details such as their phone number, residing state, reason for the visit, and preferred payment type. Additionally, they can view the fee schedule for different services and provide consent through a digital consent form, streamlining the appointment request process.
Request Scheduled Visit
Request scheduled visit enables pet parents to request an appointment with a specific veterinarian or any available veterinarian on a selected date and time slot.
Manage Facility Members
This admin interface where administrators can view veterinarians associated with the facility. It provides access to individual profiles of each member, including licenses, fees, available hours, and payout details. This centralized management tool empowers admins to oversee and manage veterinary staff effectively
Organization Settings
Admins can configure profile, fees, hours and payouts of a facility and also they can set up fees and hours for each specialty, including separate rates for weekdays, weekends, and holidays.
Outcome
Jennifer successfully navigates through the website, registers, selects a veterinarian, books a date & time slot, makes payment, and participates in a virtual consultation with the veterinarian. This streamlined process ensures prompt and convenient access to veterinary care for her pet's health concerns, ultimately promoting Max's well-being and alleviating Jennifer's worries.