NYU LANGONE HOSPITAL SERVICE DESIGN

TEAM: Four designers

ROLE: UX/UI Design, User Research, Prototyping, Service Design

TIMELINE: 5 weeks

We partnered with NYU Langone's FuturePractice Lab to develop design solutions that would enhance trust and create a more welcoming and supportive experience for gender-expansive patients. Our mission was to improve their patient experience to be more inclusive, supportive, and positive.

⭐️ Our work was selected by NYU Langone Health to be featured in their Innovation Lab

CLIENT BRIEF

Enhance NYULH’s patient experience by fostering a more inclusive, supportive, and positive environment for individuals who identify as transgender, nonbinary, and genderqueer.

OUR PROPOSAL

A comprehensive redesign of a transgender health website within NYULH to offer an abundance of resources and support for transgender individuals, ensuring a more inclusive and informative online experience before the hospital visit.

A dedicated hub focused exclusively on mental health support and resources, catering to the unique needs of transgender patients and fostering a safe and welcoming space for emotional well-being.

PROBLEM STATEMENT

How might we improve the presentation of transgender health resources at NYU Langone to foster trust, openness, and comfort between providers and patients, so that patients can confidently seek medical services without fear of abuse or discrimination?

The challenges faced by transgender patients, such as misgendering and the resulting trust issues, discrimination, and difficulty in finding appropriate care, were brought to light through our secondary research. To tackle these issues, we've decided to make improvements to the current NYULH Transgender Health website.

The current website lacks user-friendly navigation, and its content organization is disordered, making it challenging for visitors to access essential information, including comprehensive details about healthcare providers and the critical emphasis on mental health care for transgender patients.

THE PROBLEM

Given the unfamiliarity of the topic, we started the project with exploratory research to forge an empathic knowledge base. We conducted two in-depth interviews with transgender and gender non-conforming young professionals. These interviews aimed to gain insights into how they seek/find a medial provider. We found that:

  1. Resources: The primary resource they rely on when seeking medical services includes word of mouth, online research (reviews of doctors and forums), support groups, organizations, and referrals.

  2. Ideal Doctors: Their preferences and criteria for selecting doctors include emphasizing qualities such as experience in treating trans patients, understanding, advocacy, and kindness. They also expressed the need for increased inclusion within healthcare facilities.

  3. Challenges: Lack of resources for finding communities and support systems, inadequate understanding and familiarity among doctors, including inappropriate questions and coercive behavior, and limited access to mental health treatments.

RESEARCH

We implemented the following design solutions based on our research findings:

  1. Enhanced Doctor's Page: We redesigned the doctor's page, incorporating pronouns, personal videos, information on doctors' history with trans patients, and patient reviews for a more informative and patient-friendly experience.

  2. Support and Guidance: We empowered patients by providing resources to navigate their healthcare journey confidently. These resources include guidance on finding transgender-affirming providers, understanding insurance coverage, and connecting with support groups.

  3. Integration of LGBTQ+ Safe Badges: We revamped patient communication and staff training while awarding online badges to staff who completed training. These badges are visible to patients, promoting inclusivity.

  4. New Mental Health Resources: We introduced a dedicated section for mental health care resources, simplifying access for transgender patients seeking mental health support.

These design solutions collectively aim to transform the NYULH Transgender Health website into a more inclusive, supportive, and informative platform, addressing the challenges identified in our research.

THE PROCESS

Our doctor's and profile page redesign focuses on clear communication and authenticity to build trust. We reconstruct information presentation to offer flexible and personable details about the clinic, doctors, and scheduling.

Our new Mental Health Resources Hub builds trust through giving information, knowledge, inspiration, and showcasing social proof with testimonials and reviews. It serves as a comprehensive reference and mental support resource for transgender patients, collecting resources, news, research studies, and patient experiences from NYU Langone's web locations.

SOLUTION

Addressing the need for more fundamental cultural changes to enhance the medical experience for transgender patients, we've implemented a badge system to signify doctors' offices as LGBTQ+ friendly or transgender safe spaces. Doctors are required to complete courses and training to earn these badges, empowering trans patients to choose doctors confidently and encouraging NYULH doctors to create safe spaces. The training covers gender identities, gender expressions, sexual orientations, primary and special care for transgender patients, and effective communication strategies.

Another solution is the development of an inclusive patient portal. This approach addresses the challenges trans patients face during check-in by providing a two-way responsive system, inclusive design, information clarification, and digital coding for review by the medical team. The redesigned form includes options for preferred name and legal name, pronouns, specific check-ups for transgender patients (e.g., mental health, hormones, medications), and notes for medical staff to prioritize individual patient needs.

These measures represent a more holistic approach to transforming the medical experience for transgender individuals.

OTHER SOLUTIONS SUGGESTED

GATHERING FEEDBACK

  • Enhanced Trust and Attraction: Through iterative design and extensive user testing, we've incorporated trust-building tactics into the website. This approach not only garners positive reviews but also attracts more transgender patients to NYULH, as they perceive it as a trustworthy and safe place to seek medical services.

  • Publicizing Gender Inclusivity: The website serves as a public showcase of NYULH's commitment to gender inclusivity, effectively communicating its dedication to providing a safe and welcoming space for transgender patients.

IMPACT

Given more time, I would prioritize the following in future iterations:

  1. Community Building: I'd expand online forums and support groups to create a more extensive and vibrant community for transgender patients. This would provide a platform for peer support and resource sharing, fostering a sense of belonging.

  2. Patient Feedback Integration: Developing a seamless system for collecting and integrating patient feedback directly into the website. This would enable real-time adjustments based on user experiences and preferences, ensuring continuous improvement.

  3. Expanded Educational Initiatives: With additional time, I would further enhance the training program for medical staff, delving deeper into understanding gender diversity, cultural sensitivity, and effective communication strategies. This continued education would significantly enhance the healthcare experience for transgender patients.

FUTURE IMPROVEMENTS