1 Minute Summary of Project
Let's build trust by
making good on the promise.
Two universities were collecting data for a longitudinal health study in remote areas of Appalachia. The project was important as it offered free dental and health care to participants in exchange for their personal data. It was a win-win proposition.
I was initially brought in to design a better process for collecting the data, a mobile tablet application. This improved the reliability of the data, but there were serious problems with the clinical visits. During the long days at the clinic, some of the participants weren't getting the dental care as promised. Word spread throughout the community and the participants began to drop out of the study.
This was a lose-lose situation.
I designed a service such that the staff and participants followed a flow that kept things efficient and on time. That way, each participant received the care, as promised.
1. The Brief
Make clinical visits more efficient so all participants receive dental care as promised.
How might we improve the schedule so that all activities are completed during participants clinical visit?
2. The Research
Field studies quickly revealed the bottlenecks and problems with the clinical visits, and the attitudes of both sides of the service.
Like oil and water, “academic” and “illiterate” don't mix. We had to remove labels and focus on the service.
3. The Solution
Streamlining the process by providing transportation and childcare, meant everyone arrived on time, were able to focus on the self-reports, and improved the interactions.
4. Testing
We tested with 2 existing participants with young children and 1 potential participant.
Created a final service blueprint for the teams to follow.
5. Next Steps
Keep revising as necessary.
Collect success metrics to monitor progress and potential areas for improvement.
6. Reflection
Participating families spread the word within their communities and families began to self-recruit.
Test every touchpoint of a service design. The young children showed less upset when they went to the dentist in their group, rather than with their parents.