A new digital scheduling experience increases online bookings by 2.5 times

The Full Story

The challenge

MyEyeDr. has grown exponentially. But in a highly competitive market, maintaining that growth trajectory depends on a positive patient experience at every step of the relationship. Executives were particularly concerned about the experience delivered by the organization’s third-party scheduling system. In addition to issues that affected ease of use, the system provided little insight into user behaviors, such as when or why potential patients dropped off during the scheduling process.  

The company considered other systems but wanted to have full control over the scheduling process and experience. That meant a custom-developed solution. MyEyeDr. knew that we could deliver the differentiated digital experience that the company wanted and that consumers love.  

An undeniably different approach

Our team of product management, product design, and software engineering experts got right to work – combining their diverse perspectives to build a world-class digital scheduling experience from scratch, tailored to MyEyeDr.’s business and patients. 

Because the best digital solutions are built around the user, we focused first on creating a simple, modern workflow that makes it easy for patients to schedule and prepare for appointments. Digitizing the intake forms established an efficient self-service option for new patients to provide demographic and insurance information, while reducing the workload for office staff. Our team also addressed issues inherent in the previous system, such as the potential for double booking appointments. And we built tracking capabilities so that MyEyeDr. can better understand how patients interact with the system and take action to optimize scheduling at each of its locations.  

One of the project’s key challenges was the required interface with MyEyeDr.’s practice management system. This presented some constraints, requiring our team to find ways to delight users within technical boundaries. 

To deliver a working solution quickly, we built the new scheduling system in rapid iterations – starting with a minimum viable product (MVP) in two locations and then expanding it to a few more, and then a few more before introducing it network-wide. This approach allowed us to test, refine, and enhance the experience along the way.  

Finally, because we want our fingerprints to last longer than our presence, we make mentoring and collaboration an integral part of our approach. Accordingly, we worked closely with the client’s team throughout to make sure it is prepared to manage and improve the scheduling solution over time. We even helped hire MyEyeDr.’s first software engineer.  

Real Results

With us as their guide, MyEyeDr. successfully transitioned 700 locations onto a new scheduling system – custom designed for its needs and patient journey – within eight months. The new system’s analytics provide a comprehensive view into the digital booking experience, enabling MyEyeDr. to continuously measure and improve patient experience. For example, the system has helped reduce instances of double booking, inaccurate doctor availability, and other events that lead to a poor patient experience. At the same time, it has helped promote the soonest-available appointments in a geographic area to make booking easier for patients in need of services. This, in turn, has increased the percentage of appointments booked online, as well as improved the ability to complete onboarding steps prior to an appointment – both key factors in patient satisfaction and retention.