Project Summary
Role
Lead Product Designer
Responsibilites
Discovery, strategy, ideation, execution, iteration
Team
Design Leadership, research, product management, clinical services, content design, engineering
Timeline
15 months from kickoff to pilot launch
The U.S. faces a projected shortage of over 55,000 primary care physicians by 2033, leaving millions without timely access to essential healthcare services.
This growing gap results in delayed treatments, rising healthcare costs, mostly in underserved communities, making it crucial to find accessible alternatives.
Many Americans now struggle to receive basic healthcare, which impacts their quality of life and the broader public health system.
Opportunity for Walmart
Leveraging Pharmacy for Accessible Health Services
Walmart's extensive network of retail locations across the country uniquely positions it to address healthcare challenges. With a presence in numerous communities, often in underserved areas, Walmart can provide convenient, affordable healthcare services through its pharmacies. This community reach and accessibility make it an ideal setting for patients seeking immediate and local healthcare support.
Walmart, with its vast network of retail pharmacies, can play a pivotal role in addressing healthcare accessibility by empowering pharmacists to provide health assessments and prescriptions. This opportunity aims to offer affordable healthcare to underserved communities, directly at the pharmacy counter.
Product Vision
Service Blueprint
Outlined all touchpoints between patients, pharmacists, and backend systems, visualizing every aspect of service delivery.
Story Map
Created a story map to identify patient and pharmacist needs at each step of the service journey.
User Flow
Developed a simplified user flow integrating appointment scheduling and service order creation into one cohesive system.
Understanding Who is Involved
Patient arrives at
the pharmacy for the appointment
Pharmacists
Manage appointments
Perform assessments
Process prescriptions
Operations Manager
assigns standing order to the pharmacy
Operations Managers
Assign standing orders
Update orders
Assign medications
Betty is a busy mom living in a rural town with a population of 15,000.
Like many in her community, she struggles with limited access to healthcare. Betty's primary care physician recently retired and hasn't been replaced.
One morning, Betty’s son Billy isn’t feeling well, and she suspects he might have strep throat. Betty has to be at work in 2 hours, and the nearest healthcare facility is an all-day trip away. The stress of balancing her responsibilities at home and work while ensuring Billy gets the care he needs weighs heavily on her.
Patients, like Betty, are at the center of the service. They need convenient and affordable healthcare solutions, especially in underserved areas.
Challenges that Betty is Facing
Awareness
Many patients like Betty may not know this service is available.
Understanding
Betty might be unfamiliar with how the service works and what it offers.
Cost Concerns
Betty needs clarity on the costs involved and any payment options.
Marketing Pages
Promoting Walmart’s health services effectively to raise awareness and understanding among patients. Clear and engaging communication to highlight available healthcare options.
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Clear Messaging
Developed marketing materials that clearly explain the new testing and treatment services, including their benefits and how to access them.
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Explanation of What to Expect
Created content that guides patients through the assessment process, explaining each step of the service so they know exactly what to expect during their visit.
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Transparency
Provided detailed information about the services, including costs, procedures, and expected outcomes, to build trust and ensure patients are fully informed.
Online Scheduler & Communications
Easily schedule appointments for Walmart’s health services through a user-friendly online tool. Integrated with the Health Services Portal for seamless management.
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Designed an intuitive online scheduler that allows patients to book appointments easily, either from home or on the go.
Communications
Delivering clear and consistent messages about Walmart’s health services to patients and stakeholders. Ensuring effective communication to build trust and awareness.
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Created content that guides patients through the assessment process, explaining each step of the service so they know exactly what to expect during their visit.
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Provided options for rescheduling or canceling appointments to accommodate patients' busy lives.
Meet the Pharmacist
Increasing Involvement in Patient Healthcare Solutions
Pharmacists play a vital role in delivering the service. They need efficient tools and streamlined workflows to manage appointments, conduct assessments, perform tests, and prescribe medications.
Challenges
System Integration
Trouble fitting non-prescription services into the current system
Matching Patient
Matching patient information and starting evaluations was difficult
Complex Workflow
The existing process had too many steps affecting service delivery
Solutions
Health Services Portal
Manage daily appointments and patient profiles efficiently, integrating scheduling, assessments, and prescription processing.
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Assign a Patient
Easily match appointments to existing patient profiles or create new ones. Streamlines patient management with quick searches and one-click profile merges.
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Patient Details and Start Assessment
Access comprehensive patient information, including appointment status and health service orders. Initiate patient assessments through integrated third-party systems. Seamlessly receive and process results for prescriptions and payments.
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Appointment Management
Streamlines daily appointment scheduling and tracking, integrating seamlessly with patient profiles and third-party systems.
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Patient Profile Integration
Allows easy matching of appointments with existing profiles or creation of new ones, ensuring accurate and efficient service delivery.
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Assessment and Testing
Facilitates direct connection with third-party systems for assessments, returning results for quick prescription and payment processing.
Meet the Operations Manager
Ensuring Effective Implementation of Global Standing Orders
Operations managers ensure the smooth functioning of the service across all Walmart pharmacies. They need a centralized system to manage and distribute standing orders, track compliance, and ensure consistency.
Since there was no centralized management of the standing orders, operation managers had to work directly the pharmacy staff in each state which often led to errors and outdated information. This process was inefficient and took time away from the pharmacy staff’s main job of helping patients.
Challenges
Incorrect Information
Wrong order information could lead to compliance issues
Matching Patient
Matching patient information and starting evaluations was difficult
Complex Workflow
The existing process had too many steps affecting service delivery
Solutions
Global Standing Orders Portal
Centralize and manage standing orders for pharmacists, enabling efficient updates and compliance. Streamlines procedures across all pharmacies, reducing errors and saving time.
Order Uploading and Assignment
Easily upload new standing orders and assign prescribed information to ensure accurate application across all relevant pharmacies.
Medication Assignment
Assign specific medications to the uploaded standing orders, ensuring they are correctly applied to the appropriate prescriptions statewide.
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Centralized Updates for Consistency
Developed marketing materials that clearly explain the new testing and treatment services, including their benefits and how to access them.
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Simplified Order Management
Our intuitive interface for uploading orders and assigning prescribed information made it easier for operations managers to handle, ensuring accuracy and reducing workload.
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Standardized Medication Assignment
By assigning medications to specific orders, we ensured all pharmacies followed standardized procedures, which reduced errors and met regulatory requirements seamlessly.
Achieving Positive Change
Pilot Launch
Initial Services
Launched pilots covering flu, COVID-19, and strep throat testing and treatment in select locations.
Positive Feedback
Received positive feedback from patients and pharmacists, highlighting the convenience and efficiency.
Pharmacist Experience
Reduced Administrative Tasks
Significantly reduced time pharmacists spent on administrative tasks, allowing them to focus more on patient care.
Improved Workflow
Pharmacists reported that the streamlined workflow made it easier to manage appointments, conduct assessments, and prescribe medications.
Operations Management
Simplified Processes
Improve healthcare access and efficiency at Walmart.
Efficiency Gains
Reduced the time and effort required to issue and update standing orders, allowing focus on other priorities.
Looking What’s Ahead
Service Expansion
Broader Rollout
Based on the pilot program's success, plans are underway to expand the service to additional locations
New Services
The next phase includes offering naloxone and hormonal contraceptives, further enhancing the range of services available at Walmart pharmacies.
Community Focus
Continued efforts to expand services to underserved communities, improving access to essential healthcare.