From Exclusion to Access: A Telehealth Transformation in 3 Months
Breaking a Critical Barrier Sparked Platform-Wide Change
My Role
Led UX research and design to implement interpreter access, redesign video calls for accessibility, and improve real-time patient-provider communication—directly impacting patient access to care.
Timeline: From Research to Implementation: Delivered in One Business Quarter
The Problem
A hard of hearing patient was denied care due to a lack of captions, exposing a critical accessibility and legal compliance failure.
This failure led to appointment drop-offs, patient frustration, and potential legal risks.
Research
Conducted usability testing, analyzed support data, and reviewed compliance policies to uncover telehealth barriers for deaf and hard of hearing patients.
Key Finding: Patients lacked visibility into language support, leading to pre-appointment anxiety and high drop-off rates.
They needed clear, upfront accessibility options to confidently book appointments—without friction.
Exploring Design Solutions: Weighing Trade-Offs
Challenge: Balancing Access Without Overuse
Make interpreter access easy to find without driving unnecessary requests or costs.
Solution: A Smartly Placed Language Support Toggle
Clearly visible on the first screen—without overwhelming users or inflating requests.
Designing an Inclusive Video Consultation Experience
Before: Video calls only supported two participants, making interpreter access impossible.
Solution
Redesigned the video experience to seamlessly integrate interpreters—without disrupting patient-provider interaction.
Optimized for desktop, tablet, and mobile to ensure accessibility across devices.
Usability Testing
Ensuring the Toggle Was Seen & Understood
Tested placement, usability, and discoverability.
Color & Visual Impact: 80% of users found the teal toggle easier to find and more trustworthy—confirming the importance of contrast.
Removed explicit 'deaf and hard of hearing' labeling after testing showed patients understood the feature—and some found the wording unnecessary or offensive.
Usability Challenge: Preventing Costly Cancellations
Half of participants overlooked the 48-hour interpreter notice—leading to costly last-minute cancellations.
Solution: A Clear, Unmissable Confirmation Step
Understanding jumped to 87% after launch, significantly reducing last-minute cancellations.
Breaking Barriers: The Measurable Impact
From Inaccessible to Accessible: Immediate Adoption
Before launch, deaf and hard of hearing patients were blocked from telehealth.
Within the first weekend, 10 patients successfully booked accessible appointments—demonstrating this was a critical healthcare fix, not just a feature update.
Proven Visibility: Patients found and used the toggle without assistance, validating its placement on the Confirm Patient screen.
Expanding Beyond ASL: Unlocking a New Patient Population
Beyond ASL: The toggle’s placement unexpectedly addressed another gap—patients with limited English proficiency also began using it to request spoken interpreters.
Business Impact: This insight drove a platform-wide expansion of interpreter support—reaching an even broader patient base.
Fast Execution: From Concept to Critical Accessibility Fix in One Quarte
Slashed development time in half while ensuring full accessibility compliance.
For the first time, deaf and hard of hearing patients had full, independent access to telehealth—without barriers.
