How do you make complex medical records accessible and intuitive for patients on mobile? At SDH Global, I designed Health Sync, a patient-focused mobile application that provides secure access to Electronic Health Records and streamlined appointment booking for Medstar Solutions LLC, Ukraine's largest digital health provider.
The challenge: transform complex medical data into an intuitive mobile experience that empowers patients to manage their healthcare independently—while ensuring security, accessibility, and compliance with healthcare regulations.
The result: a mobile-first healthcare solution that gives patients complete control over their medical information and simplifies the appointment booking process across phones and tablets.
Project Snapshot:
Role: UX/UI Designer
Timeline: 2020-2021
Platform: Mobile & Tablet (Android, iOS)
Team: 3 Designers, 1 PM, 2 BAs, 4 Developers, 2 QA, 1 Data Analyst
Tools: Figma, FigJam, User Testing, Google Analytics, Atlassian, Slack, Zoom, etc.
User Base: 3 core personas - Patients, Doctors, Administrators
About the product:
Health Sync is a comprehensive healthcare management platform designed for multiple user types within Ukraine's healthcare ecosystem. Built for Medstar Solutions LLC, the platform serves:
Patients: Secure access to medical records, appointment booking, and healthcare management
Doctors: Patient case management, appointment coordination, and medical record access
Administrators: Request coordination, transferring patient needs to appropriate doctors, and system management
Initially developed as an MVP to address urgent COVID-19 healthcare access needs, the platform evolved to support broader healthcare coordination challenges, becoming essential infrastructure for multi-stakeholder healthcare management.
25%
faster task completio
18%
increase in user satisfaction
30%
drop in support queries
The Challenge: Multi-User Healthcare Coordination
"During COVID, I couldn't get my medical records for a telemedicine appointment, the clinic phone was always busy, and I had no way to communicate with my doctor between visits. Everything required going to the clinic, which felt dangerous."
Patient during COVID-19 lockdowns
Ukraine's healthcare system faced both COVID-19 pressures and long-standing coordination challenges. The pandemic accelerated the need for digital solutions, but the underlying problems affected all healthcare stakeholders:
For Patients:
Difficulty accessing medical records across different providers
Complex appointment booking processes requiring phone calls
Limited communication channels with healthcare providers
For Doctors:
Fragmented patient information across multiple systems
Inefficient appointment and case management workflows
Limited tools for remote patient interaction
For Administrators:
Manual request routing between patients and appropriate doctors
Overwhelming phone-based coordination during COVID
Lack of visibility into system-wide healthcare demand
Technical Challenges:
Multi-user interface design serving different needs and workflows
Cross-device optimization for various use contexts
Integration with existing healthcare systems and compliance requirements
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COVID-19 Crisis Impact
Lockdowns made traditional healthcare access dangerous and impossible. Phone lines were overwhelmed, clinics were restricted, and patients couldn't get the care they needed. The pandemic exposed critical gaps in healthcare accessibility that required immediate digital solutions.
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Overwhelmed Phone Lines
Clinic staff couldn't handle appointment booking volume
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Restricted Clinic Access
In-person visits became dangerous for patients
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Isolated Elderly Patients
High-risk patients couldn't access healthcare safely
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Fragmented Medical Records
No digital access to patient information for remote care
My Role & Approach: UX Research + Patient Interface Design
As UX/UI designer on this multi-user healthcare platform, I contributed to user research across all personas and owned the complete patient interface design:
UX Research Contribution:
Conducted user research across all three personas (patients, doctors, administrators) to understand distinct needs and shared workflows
Analysed how COVID-19 specifically affected each user type's healthcare responsibilities and digital needs
Mapped cross-user journeys showing how requests flow from patients through administrators to doctors
Patient Interface Design Ownership:
Designed the complete patient-facing interface for medical record access, appointment booking, and healthcare management
Created responsive patient experience optimised for both phones and tablets
Ensured patient interface accessibility compliance (WCAG 2.1) for users across age groups and technical abilities
Cross-Team Collaboration:
Shared research insights with other designers working on doctor and admin interfaces
Contributed to MVP design strategy and participated in feature expansion following initial success
Conducted usability testing focused on patient workflows and interface validation
Research Methodologies: Understanding All User Types
As the team member conducting UX research, I studied all three user personas to understand the complete healthcare ecosystem:
Multi-Stakeholder Interviews: Conducted sessions with 18+ users across all three personas (patients, doctors, administrators) to understand distinct needs and shared workflows
COVID-Impact Analysis: Analysed how the pandemic specifically affected each user type's healthcare responsibilities and digital needs
Cross-User Journey Mapping: Mapped how requests flow from patients through administrators to doctors, identifying friction points in multi-user workflows
Competitive Healthcare Analysis: Studied platforms like Helsi.me and Doc.ua to understand gaps in multi-user healthcare coordination
Patient-Focused Accessibility Research: Ensured design decisions worked for patient users across age groups and technical comfort levels, particularly important for healthcare contexts
Admin Workflow Analysis: Studied how healthcare administrators currently route patient requests and coordinate care to inform overall platform strategy
Research insights were shared with the design team to inform doctor and admin interface design by other team members.
Understanding Multi-User Needs:
Research revealed distinct but interconnected challenges:
Patients needed:
Simple access to medical records and appointment booking
Clear communication with healthcare providers
Reduced dependency on phone calls for basic healthcare tasks
Doctors needed:
Efficient patient case management and medical record access
Streamlined appointment coordination
Tools for remote patient interaction during COVID restrictions
Administrators needed:
Efficient systems for routing patient requests to appropriate doctors
Visibility into appointment availability and healthcare demand
Reduced manual coordination burden
Competitor Analysis: Understanding the Market (Ukraine, 2021)
I studied Helsi.me, a leading MIS with intuitive patient booking but limited multi-user coordination features, and Doc.ua, a private-sector platform with strong doctor interfaces but weak administrative tools. Both lacked integrated workflows for patient-admin-doctor coordination and COVID-specific features, unlike Health Sync's comprehensive multi-user approach.
Design Solution: Patient Interface Focus
Patient Interface: Empowered Healthcare Management
Challenge: Patients struggled with fragmented healthcare access and communication
Solution: Designed intuitive mobile interface for medical record access, appointment booking, and secure communication with providers
Multi-Device: Optimised for phones (quick access) and tablets (detailed record review)
MVP Launch Strategy:: Launched core functionality first to address urgent COVID-driven needs, then iterated based on real-world usage across all user types.
Key Features: Solving COVID Healthcare Access
Based on urgent patient feedback during the pandemic, I designed core features to address the most pressing healthcare access challenges:
Emergency Medical Record Access
Crisis Need: Patients needed medical history for telemedicine consultations but couldn't visit clinics for records.
Solution: Designed intuitive mobile access to complete medical histories with chronological organisation for easy sharing with remote healthcare providers.
COVID Impact: Enabled patients to access critical medical information for remote consultations during lockdowns.
Contactless Appointment Booking
Crisis Need: Phone lines at clinics were overwhelmed as all patients tried to book appointments remotely.
Solution: Created streamlined mobile booking showing real-time availability, reducing phone call volume to overwhelmed healthcare facilities.
COVID Impact: Allowed patients to book essential appointments without adding to clinic phone congestion during crisis periods.
Prescription Management During Lockdowns
Crisis Need: Patients couldn't easily track prescriptions or request refills when routine visits stopped.
Solution: Designed clear prescription tracking with refill request functionality for essential medications.
COVID Impact: Helped patients maintain medication continuity during healthcare system disruption.
Family Caregiver Access
Crisis Need: High-risk elderly patients needed family members to manage their healthcare remotely.
Solution: Built secure sharing capabilities allowing authorized family members to access patient information for remote healthcare support.
COVID Impact: Enabled safer healthcare management for vulnerable populations during the pandemic.
Team Collaboration: Doctor & Admin Interfaces:
While I focused on patient interface design, other team designers created:
Doctor Interface: Case management, appointment coordination, and patient communication tools
Admin Interface: Request routing dashboard and system coordination tools
All interfaces were built using shared research insights and maintained design system consistency.
Delivering Under Pressure:
I delivered mockups, prototypes, and detailed specifications under urgent timeline pressure, achieving high design implementation accuracy despite crisis constraints. Remote stakeholder presentations earned approval for rapid deployment to serve patients during ongoing healthcare disruption.
Technical Integration & MVP Deployment:
Successfully integrated with:
eHealth API for medical record synchronization across user types
Healthcare provider systems for appointment and case management
SMS/notification systems for multi-user communication
Admin routing systems for request coordination workflows
MVP Launch: Rapid deployment of core functionality served immediate COVID-driven needs while establishing foundation for comprehensive multi-user platform.
A mobile-first healthcare platform that transformed patient access during the pandemic and evolved into comprehensive healthcare infrastructure for Ukraine
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Launched core functionality during COVID crisis to serve immediate patient needs
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Mobile & Tablet Optimisation
Responsive design for phones and tablets with context-aware interfaces
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Multi-User Platform
Coordinated workflows for patients, doctors, and administrators
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HIPAA-compliant security with eHealth API integration
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WCAG 2.1 compliant design for users across all age groups and abilities
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Designed for urgent healthcare needs during pandemic lockdowns
25%
faster task completion
18%
increase in user satisfaction
30%
drop in support queries
The Impact: Healthcare Access During Crisis
The Health Sync mobile app provided critical healthcare access during Ukraine's COVID-19 response:
Immediate Crisis Relief: Patients gained secure access to medical records needed for remote consultations when clinic visits weren't safe
Reduced Healthcare System Strain: Mobile appointment booking reduced phone call volume to overwhelmed clinic staff managing pandemic protocols
Vulnerable Population Support: Elderly and high-risk patients could access healthcare information remotely, reducing their exposure risk
Healthcare Continuity: Patients maintained access to prescription information and treatment plans during lockdown periods
Family Caregiver Empowerment: Authorized family members could help manage healthcare for vulnerable patients remotely
Platform Evolution: MVP success justified investment in comprehensive feature expansion, transforming the platform from COVID response tool to essential healthcare infrastructure
What I learned:
Cross-Persona Research Value: Conducting UX research across all user types (even when designing for only one) provided crucial context for creating patient interfaces that work within the broader healthcare ecosystem.
Crisis-Driven Design: COVID created urgency that accelerated digital healthcare adoption, requiring rapid deployment while maintaining quality and accessibility standards.
Specialized Focus Benefits: Concentrating UI design efforts on patient interface allowed for deep optimization of patient workflows and accessibility needs during a healthcare crisis.
Team Design Collaboration: Working with other designers on multi-user platforms requires sharing research insights and maintaining design system consistency across different interface areas.
