Paws for Patients App
Simplifying Therapy Dog Visits for Volunteers and Hospital Patients
Overview
Paws for Patients is a HIPAA-compliant app that connects therapy dog handlers with hospital patients nationwide. It allows patients to request visits with ease while maintaining the highest standards of privacy and care. Designed with user-centered accessibility, the app fosters meaningful interactions, making it simple for volunteers to provide comfort and companionship to those in need.
Challenge
How might we design a seamless, HIPAA-compliant platform that allows patients to request therapy dog visits while enabling volunteers to efficiently manage their schedules, interactions, and coordination with hospital administrators?
Solution
I designed a HIPAA-compliant app that streamlines therapy dog visit requests and helps volunteers manage schedules, interactions, and hospital coordination. Key features include visit requests, profile management, and secure communication tools.
Asking the right people the right questions
Through interviews with therapy dog handlers, hospital administrators, and patients, several key themes emerged.
Therapy Dog Handlers
“I just want a simple way to manage schedules so I can focus on bringing comfort to patients.”
Hospital Administrators
“I just want a simple way to manage schedules so I can focus on bringing comfort to patients.”
Patients
“I’d love to request a therapy dog visit, but the process feels unclear and complicated. It should be easier.”
Auditing the current experience
The initial design lacks a user-friendly experience and modern visual appeal. The cluttered interface, inconsistent typography, and lack of clear visual hierarchy make it difficult for users to navigate. Key functionalities, like signing up or managing visits, feel overly complicated, and the generic styling fails to instill trust or professionalism.
Outcomes
The app streamlined therapy dog visit requests, reducing scheduling issues and administrative tasks. Patients experienced easier access and greater comfort, while volunteers benefited from simplified scheduling and communication. Its user-friendly, HIPAA-compliant design enhanced connections between patients and handlers.
Increased volunteer sign-ups
Simplified onboarding encouraged more therapy dog handlers to join the platform, reducing barriers to entry.
Improved patient satisfaction
Patients found the app easy to use, making therapy dog visits more accessible and enjoyable.
Reduction in scheduling issues
Streamlined scheduling minimized conflicts and improved coordination between volunteers and hospitals.
Simplified Onboarding for Therapy Dog Volunteers
Volunteers can effortlessly create a profile, showcase their therapy dog’s details, and begin making meaningful connections with hospitals and patients in just minutes.
Your Volunteer Dashboard at a first Glance
The home screen provides an organized view of upcoming visits, impact metrics, and quick access to key features, making it simple for volunteers to stay on top of their schedules and focus on making a difference.
Effortless Visit Management
Accessing and managing visits is seamless with the dedicated “Visits” section, easily reachable from the homepage. Volunteers can view upcoming appointments, confirm visits, and track their impact all in just a few taps.
Simple Therapy Dog Registration
Adding a therapy dog is quick and straightforward. Easily input your dog’s details, upload a photo, and provide key information to get them ready for visits.
Looking into the future
A key focus for the platform’s future is implementing a scheduling system with time slots, allowing volunteers to manage availability and patients to select visit times. Another planned feature is improved communication, enabling patients to know when a volunteer is on their way and allowing secure, HIPAA-compliant messaging between them. These updates will require close collaboration with developers and hospitals to ensure compliance with regulations and workflows.