Healin

Healin: UX Case Study

Project Overview

The surgical tourism market in Tijuana is rapidly growing, attracting an increasing number of patients seeking affordable and high-quality medical procedures. Despite this surge in demand, the current process for finding post-surgical recovery accommodations is highly fragmented. Patients must manually search the internet for suitable stays, as traditional hotel booking platforms do not cater to medical recovery needs. This creates challenges for both patients and property managers.

Healin fills this critical void by modernizing the booking experience. For patients, it provides a seamless, centralized platform to find certified recovery houses with medical care. For property managers, Healin offers an opportunity to professionalize their offerings through free Healin Certification, which ensures their properties are safe and compliant. This certification also allows managers to be featured on the platform, addressing the issue of outdated websites and limited advertising options.

The goal was to create an intuitive, secure, and medically aligned service that eases the stress of recovery logistics for patients while empowering property managers to effectively manage their offerings.

Pain Points and Project Goals

Patients:

• Lack of verified, medically certified recovery accommodations.
• Limited flexibility in payment options.
• Difficulties in comparing available recovery houses and their facilities.

Property Managers:

• Complex booking and financial management processes.
• No centralized system to coordinate with doctors for patient after-care.
• Lack of tools to efficiently manage multiple listings and monitor occupancy.

Goals:

• Create a seamless, safe, and efficient booking process for patients.
• Provide property managers with powerful management tools for their recovery houses.
• Ensure compliance with medical standards and support coordinated after-care for patients.

Discovery and Research

• Conducted user interviews with 10 patients and 8 property managers to identify key challenges.
• Benchmarked existing platforms (e.g., Airbnb, Booking.com) to understand booking workflows while addressing gaps in the medical recovery niche.
• Consulted with healthcare professionals to integrate after-care features.

Personas

Name: Maria Ortiz
Age: 45
Goals: Find a certified recovery house near her surgery location, pay flexibly, and feel assured of her post-op care.

Name: James Lee
Age: 37
Goals: Manage multiple properties and bookings seamlessly, track finances, and ensure compliance with medical standards.

User Journeys

Patient Flow: Search > Filter > View Listings > Book > Coordinate Post-Care

Manager Flow: Post Listings > Manage Bookings > View Finances and Insights > Sync with Doctors

Property Manager Key Features:

1. Verified Listings:
   • Listings undergo staff verification to ensure the presence of medical professionals and compliance with safety standards.
   • Ability to edit and manage verified listings easily.
2. Dashboards:
   • Financial and booking statistics presented in a clear, actionable format.
3. Booking Management:
   • A dynamic calendar view to manage bookings and availability.
4. Patient Notes:
   • Sync patient information with their surgical doctor for coordinated after-care.

Patient Key Features:

1. Search and Filters:
   • Advanced filters (e.g., location, medical staff on-site, wheelchair accessibility) and map view for easy browsing.
2. Flexible Payment Options:
   • Options for online payments or cash on arrival.
3. Real Room Photos:
   • Verified photos on each room’s listing page for transparency.
4. Profile and Booking Management:
   • View, manage, and cancel bookings directly from their profile settings.

Wireframes and Prototypes

• Low-fidelity wireframes were created to map out the user flow and information architecture.
• Mid-fidelity prototypes tested by 15 users (7 patients, 8 property managers) to validate usability.
• High-fidelity prototypes incorporated feedback for enhanced user experience.

UI Design

• Color Palette: A calming blue and green palette to evoke trust and wellness.
• Typography: Modern sans-serif fonts for readability and a clean aesthetic.
• Icons: Custom medical-themed icons to provide visual cues.
• Accessibility: WCAG AA compliance with high contrast and screen-reader-friendly layouts.

Success Metrics:

• Increased Trust: 79% of patients reported feeling confident booking accommodations.
• Efficiency: Property managers reduced booking management time by 55%.

Challenges:

• Initial onboarding for property managers required additional guidance due to the complexity of integrating medical compliance features.
• Patients requested additional filter options, which are being implemented in phase two.
• Patients requested options for searching for additional services such as massages and cosmetic injectables, this page currently exists as a simple directory in phase two, and is being properly implemented in phase three.

Next Steps

1. Expand filter options for patients (e.g., language spoken by staff, nearby pharmacy locations).
2. Introduce a mobile app for better accessibility.
3. Implement Additional Services Tab
4. Implement AI-based suggestions for patients based on medical needs

Branding

The Healin brand identity is centered around clarity, professionalism, and an intuitive visual language that embodies vitality and renewal. The logo incorporates an arrow within the lettering, emphasizing the idea of progression and healing—highlighting the "IN" in "Healin" to reinforce its core mission of transformation and well-being. The color palette is carefully crafted to balance professionalism with warmth and vitality. The typography strategy uses Source Sans Pro for its primary text, offering a modern, clean, and highly legible design suitable for both digital and print applications.

Conclusion

Healin successfully bridges the gap between post-surgery patients and safe, certified recovery accommodations. By focusing on user needs and incorporating medical compliance, Healin creates a unique value proposition in the healthcare and hospitality sectors.