Ballad Health Mobile App Case Study


Goals

Formed by a merger of two regional systems in 2018, Ballad Health is a multi-state health system that serves parts of
Tennessee, Virginia, North Carolina, and Kentucky. They operate a family of 21 hospitals and other facilities.

Across the system, patients used MyChart, but were frustrated that they couldn’t complete other basic tasks,
such as scheduling appointments or paying bills as a guest.

Our goal was to build an app that made it easier for patients to navigate the appointment scheduling process.

Team

I worked as the user researcher and product designer alongside a product manager, QA team member, and 2 engineers

App Research

We did extensive discovery work and a thorough competitive analysis to look at the mobile app landscape
and discern the best practices.

We examined:

  • Pain points within the appointment scheduling process

  • Where exactly users were getting stuck

  • How can organization be improved

  • Competitive analysis from out-of-industry comparables such as CitiBank and American Express.


Mobile App Design

We were able to design an experience for Ballad Health that touches MyChart in a way that’s familiar to customers.
But it’s a more streamlined mobile experience that Ballad Health fully owns, and that provides the other
digital tools customers most need.

Using the Ballad Health app, users can:

  • Request appointments.

  • Message members of their care team.

  • Find a doctor in the Ballad Health system.

  • See past and upcoming appointments.

  • View and refill prescriptions.

  • Pay their bill.

Ballad Health also has flexibility to add features as they need. Instead of playing catch-up, having their own mobile app
allows them to be in front of changing customer needs.

Outcomes

  • This modern, user-friendly experience brings the main calls to action to the forefront. It allows users to interact with the features they use most through personalization. Within the first year after launch, revenue-driving interactions increased by over 30%.

  • Included in that 30% was a 60% increase in appointments scheduled online, and a 40% decrease in call volume to locations

  • One main takeaway was the importance of identifying as early as possible when a flow could be perceived as overwhelming, and the steps taken to identify how to best break them up. You can have the same amount of steps but when organized and presented in a user-centric way, the experience becomes much more efficient. It is a great way to maintain a user-centric experience while also keeping in line with the business goals.