Simplifying Appointment Booking Flow with a Patient Portal

Healthcare | Automation

Reading Time: 5 min

One day, a friend of mine spent 10 minutes venting about how difficult it was to book a health check-up for her child.

Imagine you're a parent trying to schedule an appointment. You visit the clinic’s website, enter your child’s health card number, and expect a smooth, straightforward process. Instead, you're faced with a confusing list of providers - each with minimal explanation - and no clear way to know which one is right for your child.
Inconsistent wording, lack of details, and vague descriptions leave users feeling lost and unsure.

Even after picking what seems like the best option, you're presented with 29 different visit types, when realistically, only 4 or 5 are relevant based on your child’s age or current need. This step alone could be much cleaner and more intuitive.

Then comes a puzzling request: enter your child’s doctor’s name. This field doesn’t impact the appointment booking, especially for regular check-ups, where the physician is already assigned and visible in the clinic’s system.

If you're booking a same-day appointment, the clinic will decide internally who your child sees, based on scheduling and availability. Finally, after navigating through all these steps, you select a date and time. But when it's time to confirm the appointment, there's no clear confirmation screen - just two nearly identical screens in a row. Want to go back and make a change? There’s no easy way to do it. And if you do hit “back,” you’re sent to the step of selecting providers and have to start again.

How automation can reduce appointment scheduling time

The current booking flow is filled with unnecessary steps that slow users down, make them second-guess their choices, and increase overall frustration, especially when they’re already anxious about their child’s health.

So how can we simplify the process? And how can automation help?

In this case, the right solution could be a simple, user-friendly Patient Portal where parents have access to all the essential information like their child’s primary doctor, past appointments, vaccination status, and recommended check-ups all in one place.

Time-saving features could include:

One-click login using the child’s health card number
Pre-filled profile data, so there's no need to re-enter known details like gender or primary care physician
Option to upload a photo during booking to help personalize the visit
Automatic reminders for upcoming check-ups or vaccinations
Clear options to book, reschedule, or cancel without needing to call or email the clinic

Research

I started by exploring how other clinics approach this challenge. Many already offer patient portals, keeping essential health info accessible to families. I focused on three major competitors:

MyChart is comprehensive and widely used, but often feels overwhelming for pediatric care and clunky on mobile.
AthenaHealth offers flexibility, but the experience varies based on how each clinic configures it — great when customized, less so when not.
PediaAlliance provides a more child-focused design, but it lacks some backend features like billing integration or a mobile app.

Prototype

Since appointment scheduling was the main pain point, I focused on simplifying that flow. Some screens weren’t adding value and were moved to the child’s profile (e.g., gender, primary physician, contact info). Other elements—like age-based reminders—were automated.

Once I mapped the new flow and designed the key screens, I tested a high-fidelity prototype to validate the improvements.

Key improvements:

A clear, easy-to-find “Book Appointment” button
Clean, intuitive navigation throughout the booking process
Fewer, more relevant visit reasons shown
Easy access to modify or cancel an appointment
A mobile-first layout with touch-friendly design
A friendly, parent-centred interface that feels approachable
A visible and reassuring confirmation screen

Prioritizing mobile-first design and Patient-Centred design.
Creating user-friendly interfaces that are easy to understand and navigate.

Easy-to-navigate calendars, efficient display of time slots, and easy appointment confirmation and management.

Learnings

Clarity and simplicity make all the difference.
Parents are often stressed and short on time when booking medical visits. Long, confusing flows made users feel overwhelmed. Showing only relevant options and using clear, simple language made the experience faster and more pleasant.

Mobile-first is a must.
Over 70% of bookings happened on mobile. So I focused on responsive design, thumb-friendly buttons, and a clean layout that works well on the go. That made the experience feel lighter and easier, just what busy parents need.

Copy builds trust.
Clear feedback like “Your appointment is confirmed” or “Your appointment is cancelled” reassured users, especially first-timers. These small touches helped reduce anxiety and boosted confidence in the system.

Relevant suggestions make life easier.
One of the most appreciated features? The automatic suggestion for the next recommended check-up. Many parents weren’t sure when to book or worried they’d forget. By gently surfacing the right time, the system helped relieve the pressure and support better health habits.