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Long waiting lists for medical help
Background
1177.se is the state-owned website that provide medical information and services for the swedish citizens. When this study was made, Swedish citizens who was in need of medical help were experiencing long waiting time for appointments. As someone who both has experienced and had issues navigating the 1177´s website as well as come across several people who has shared their frustrations with the site, I wanted to investigate why people found the website so difficult to use and how it may be improved. By improving the website, users may be less inclined to contact medical care for physical visits, and therefor could improve waiting time.
Problem
When investigating the website there were two main issues that became apparent;
Firstly, the website information is strictly structured based on categorization, meaning that the user needs to know what they are looking for when visiting the site.
Secondly, the digital assistant “Liv” is a chat bot that can provide answers to users questions. However, the information that the assistant can provide is limited and may not be able to provide information or links that may be relevant to the questions asked.
Recommendations for improvement
The main issue with the 1177.se website is that it demands that the users know what to look for and how to navigate to this location in order to find relevant information. My recommendation is that a digital questionnaire is made for users to partake in order to guide them towards relevant information. This could make it easier for users to find information about what they wish to learn more of.
Note: It is important to add that this questionnaire should be created in cooperation with licenced doctors and medical staff. This questionnaire is not to be used a way of giving diognoses but simply to provide potential useful links for users. The questionnaire should also first state that people with severe pain and wounds should immediately contact or visit emergency department.
Lessons from this project
This project highlighted the importance of difficulty of use and the necessity of easy website navigation. Information needs to be readily available in order for it to become useful, otherwise it will not provide the care it intends to fill.