UX/Graphic Designer
Snoqualmie Valley Orthodontics
Background
Well oiled machine
A medical practice needs to be a well oiled machine. Everything must be scripted to avoid communication breakdowns, maintain customer care, and ensure the highest quality for every patient. As you can imagine, this leads to the employees of the practice saying and doing a lot of repetitive things.
Role: UX Researcher / Designer
Problem
Going off script
Nothing is built to last forever and eventually parts need replaced. The machine is not the same as it once was and now it is time to adapt. How do you maintain quality care while training new members of the team?
A breakdown of communication with patients led to a decrease in customer satifaction and quality care.
Why did your oral instructions fail?
- New staff members missed key information when communicating with patients
- Senior staff members were not communicating as well because they were training new staff and running late with appointments
- Given to children (75% of our patients) who are not reliable sources of information
Patient journey example
- Patient comes in for regular 30 minute appointemnt
- 20 minutes are spend adjusting the braces
- 5-10 minutes are spend explaining instructions to the patient and their family
- The patient goes home and doesn’t remember what they were told or remembers incorrectly
- Parents call us with questions and complaints
Solution 1
Writing the script
We needed to work on our communication style a bit. I worked together with the dental assisting staff to create written instructions to send home with patients. Not only did we give oral instruction after appointments, but we sent links to written documentation to the parents via email and text about their orthodontic treatment.
Problem 2
The problem resurfaces
This worked great for a while, as we had 2 experienced dental assistants working in the office who gave great oral instruction paired with the written documentation. The questions and confusion decreased. The issue returned when we went through a staffing transition and the questions came rolling in once more.
Why did written instructions fail?
- Given to children who are not reliable sources of information sharing.
- Reading a 5 page guide about orthodontic treatment is a big time commitment.
- Confusion and missed information during staff transition
Analysis of User Data for Written Instructions:
Date Range: 6 months (June – November 2024)
Delivery methods:
- Email/text automatic templates
- Linktree
- Social media
Results:
- High click rate
- Repeat viewers
- Expected time spent viewing: 3-5 minutes
- Actual (average) time spent viewing: 60 seconds
Transitioning to new staff members meant that information was missed and appointments ran over time.
There was a demand for information, but we needed a better delivery!
Solution 2
Video instructions
It was clear that the system needed to evolve to meet our growing demands. I set out to create a solution that was cost-effective, required minimal effort from our staff, and was engaging for patients. Additionally, it needed to be easy to update as policies changed and feel personalized to maintain the human touch.
Recording in-office videos wasn’t feasible due to time constraints, but I saw an opportunity: AI Videos. With it, I could produce high-quality, professional videos that felt as though they were created in-house—videos designed to inform, engage, and stand the test of time.
Less time, more digestible
- Videos are processed by the brain faster and the user retains up to 95% more of a video message compared to 10% when reading it.
- Less time commitment with videos ranging 5-8 minutes in length.
Accessible
- Youtube is familiar, trustworthy, and easy to find
- Can link the videos via social media, emails, text messages, and as a paper QR code
- Captions available for those who want to read the instructions
Boosts engagement
- Directing traffic to social media interally boosts reach externally to prospective patients
Adaptable
- Use Synthesia (an AI video generator) to be able to change the video content anytime
- AI avatars to keep the human elements and adds a personal touch
- Save time with video production by utilizing templates
Saves time and energy
Staff can show this video to patients in office:
- Patient can ask more detailed questions
- Staff can clean and prepare for next patient while the video is being played
- Eliminates repetitive speeches from staff
- Maintains consistency, even when there are new employees
Analytics
Results
Analysis of User Data for Video Instructions:
Date Range: 1 month (12/12/24 – 1/24/25)
Delivery methods:
- Email/text automatic templates
- Linktree
- Social media – Youtube
Results:
- Videos have a higher average view time than written docs
- Comprable engagement despite shorter duration, suggesting more impactful medium
- Increased external reach
Staff Feedback
How much time did you spend on oral instructions before the videos existed?
- Grace (4 years experience):
- 2 minutes
- “I hate giving oral instructions”
- Rhiann (6 months experience):
- 10 minutes
- “I said ‘um’ a lot and talked at them for 10 minutes”
Do you still get questions after the video? How much time do you think you spend giving oral instruction after the video?
- Grace:
- 1 minutes
- “Yes, but they are related to the video, or if they weren’t paying attention. Easy yes or no answers like: …can I use my electric toothbrush?“
- Rhiann:
- 1 minutes
- “I don’t really get a lot of questions.“
How many start appointment related questions do you think you got on average over the past month?
- Grace:
- “I don’t usually get follow up questions. I tell them to watch the video after if they can’t remember because it’s a lot of information.“
- Rhiann:
- “I don’t really get a lot of questions. I don’t know how many on average.“
- Kim (1.5 years experience):
- “None, I have been getting a lot of questions about elastics, ember light therapy, insurance, and next steps after consultations“
Result
Watch the videos!
Next steps
As good as new!
The machine is once again in working order, but one thing is abundantly clear: there is more work to be done! Now that we are not receiving questions about new patients, we are able to pay attention to the other questions and concerns we are receiving from patients.
I am currently making videos for different appointment types, technology we use, and so much more!
Lessons Learned
UX is for everyone
User experience and customer service are different sides of the same coin.
Solution 1 is not the be all end all, and stopping there could mean you are missing out on a better solution. Iteration and testing are key.
Paying attention to the small things that are effecting individuals can also lead to improvement for everyone!
Just because something worked well in the past doesn’t mean it still works today.
AI is an ally when it comes to time savings, efficiancy, and adaptibility.
Contact Me
Get In Touch
Reach out to ask me questions, chat about your ideas, or to share some feedback!