New product design · HealthTap, 2021
Virtual primary care
- Shipped
- 1-month research, 6-month design + eng (07.2020 – 01.2021)
- Product designer
- 2 PM, 6 front-end engineers, 1 back-end engineer
- Web, iOS, and Android
- Background
- HealthTap provided 24/7 virtual urgent care to consumers and partner employees.
- Problem
- Subscribers often cancelled after their first visit because urgent care solved an occasional need, not an ongoing one.
- Approach
- Research asked what would make users come back to virtual care. The answer was a primary care service based on an ongoing doctor–patient relationship. An A/B test compared it with an experience offering any available doctor.
- Outcome
- The MVP launched in January 2021 and officially launched in March. Over the following six months, subscription retention, total revenue and NPS increased.
Problem
Subscribers rarely needed urgent care
HealthTap’s 24/7 virtual urgent care gave subscribers fast access to a doctor. But they rarely needed urgent care, so many cancelled after their first visit.
An ongoing primary care relationship could make the subscription worth keeping.
User research
Users valued an ongoing relationship with one doctor
Interviews with prospective users asked what they valued in primary care. The answers showed three themes: access, doctor quality, and an ongoing relationship.
Fast, affordable access
Users wanted care without insurance or high costs, and the ability to see a doctor within two days.
A doctor they trusted
Nearly half of participants checked ratings and reviews before choosing a doctor.
An ongoing relationship
7 of 10 interviewees had seen the same primary care doctor more than twice in the past year. They trusted the doctor and felt comfortable with them.
The third finding changed the direction of the project: the product needed to give people a reason to keep seeing the same doctor.
“From the very first visit, I knew I had found the right doctor. She listened, remembered my history, and actually cared. In the last year I’ve had three visits with the same doctor. The ongoing relationship I’ve built with her has made me feel truly supported.”
Sarah M., HealthTap member
Design strategy
A design based on an ongoing relationship
The design changed from one-time visits to a primary care model in which a patient keeps seeing the same personal doctor.
The MVP focused on four experiences that supported that relationship: a personalised home, appointment booking, a personal doctor, and ongoing messaging.
MVP design
Designed to choose a doctor and come back
The core flow was designed around one question: what helps a user choose a personal doctor and come back?
Discover primary care
Paid care services were placed higher in the information structure, and upcoming appointments appeared on the home screen. Features that did not support the new model, such as the Symptom Checker, were removed.
Choose a personal doctor
Users said ratings and reviews mattered. A browsable doctor list was tested against full doctor profiles. The list performed better: users could compare doctors by photo, rating, and availability in fewer steps.
Schedule before intake
Scheduling and payment were placed before the five-step intake form, so users could book and pay before filling out the long form.
Return to the doctor
Upcoming appointments were added to the logged-in home screen, and SMS and email reminders told users when to return for their visit.
Hypothesis validation
A/B test: a personal doctor or any available doctor
Rather than assume users wanted a personal doctor, the team tested two versions. Version A first showed the patient’s personal doctor. Version B offered any available doctor.
The results supported the relationship hypothesis.
Higher visit ratings
Version A received higher ratings than Version B.
More messages between visits
Patients and doctors exchanged more messages in Version A.
Version A kept patients with the same doctor
Version B led patients to any available doctor instead.
Impact
The relationship model improved retention
The MVP launched in January 2021, followed by the official launch in March. Compared with the previous period, the next six months showed:
“It’s not a random app doctor — I always see the same doctor who listens and understands my conditions. It’s worth much more than $15 a month.”
Shirley T., HealthTap member
“Best doc I’ve ever had. Love her. She is so kind, compassionate and loving! I want to see her all the time! So proud she’s my doc! Also I feel like she’s my friend! We love you and thank you from the bottom of our heart!”
Rhonda M., HealthTap member
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