We redesigned the blood-testing patient journey, from arrival and queuing to testing and payment.
The challenge
As incomes rise in China, patients expect healthcare providers to use the latest technology and services, and public hospitals were overwhelmed. BD China wanted to see how service strategies could be built into its business alongside its products, starting with the blood-testing journey: entering the hospital, getting a ticket, waiting, having blood taken and paying.
Our approach
We ran ethnographies in 10 representative hospitals across northern, eastern, southern and western China, and interviewed 30 medical experts and 50 patients. Mapping every touchpoint of patients’ and medical workers’ experience showed where the service could be streamlined, and how value-added services can improve health outcomes and create a competitive edge.
The result
20 key opportunities to improve the experience before, during and after a blood test, and a framework of four principles: humanise the logistics, standardise the procedure, track the samples and automate the process. The redesign covered space, signage, queuing, blood collection devices and logistics, improving queuing, communication and crowd control and reducing disputes. Our partner S.POINT turned the recommendations into device designs, and the upgraded blood-testing system has been adopted by a top-tier hospital.
