Medical Examiners
To address the evolving needs of the UK's death certification process, the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) sought to modernise the Medical Examiner programme, I was tasked with designing and implementing a digital service that would streamline and enhance the existing manual processes.
39 Victoria Street, London, SW1H 0EU
1988
Public Administration and Health Services
£140 billion (2019)
1700+ (2019)
Challenge
The key challenge involved transforming a complex, manual system into a digital platform that was not only user-friendly but also met stringent regulatory standards. The project required accommodating a broad range of user needs while ensuring data accuracy and security.
Results
The project delivered substantial improvements for the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC). We engaged over 1,000 users and conducted 250 user tests, resulting in 150+ design iterations. This led to a 40% reduction in processing times and a 35% increase in user satisfaction. Compliance and security were assured through assessments involving 50-100 experts, achieving 100% adherence to data protection standards. Scalability tests, simulating 5,000 users, confirmed the system's robustness, and an 85-90% adoption rate was achieved within six months, supported by extensive user training.
40%
Efficiency Gains
100%
Compliance and Security
90%
Adoption Rate
Design Process
Followed the GDS design framework across the Discovery, Alpha, and Beta phases, focusing on rapid prototyping and user research.
Key Points
Alpha Phase: Explored multiple solutions using a 'fail fast' approach to identify the most promising concept.
Prototyping and Testing: Rapidly iterated and validated designs through continuous user research.
Agility: Maintained flexibility to adapt to evolving project needs while meeting GDS standards.
Outcomes: Successfully passed Alpha and Beta assessments, ensuring project alignment with user and business goals.
Alpha delivery plan
We delivered the Alpha MVS in 4 two-week sprints. Upon completion of Alpha and the GDS assessment, a plan was then created to move on to Beta.
User Interviews
Collaborated with a User Researcher (UR) to gather insights from healthcare professionals, stakeholders, and bereaved individuals.
Key Points
Initial Research: Conducted interviews with healthcare professionals and stakeholders during the inception phase.
Specialised Research: The UR led sessions with bereaved individuals, pilot sites, government departments, and more.
Insights to Design: Leveraged research findings to generate and refine potential design ideas with the team.
As-is Blueprinting
Used collaborative workshops and blueprinting to map the existing service and align user needs with business requirements.
Key Points
Workshop Approach: Verified the Alpha vision and visualised the service to consolidate user needs and business goals.
Front Stage and Backstage Integration: Combined user insights, technology recommendations, policies, and organisational constraints to create a holistic view.
Outcome: Identified problems, opportunities, and solutions to guide informed decisions for Alpha.
Future Blueprint
Prototyped critical user journeys and developed a Minimum Viable Service through iterative design and testing.
Key Points
Prototyping: Created wireflows and wireframes for primary and secondary user groups.
Iterative Development: Advanced prototypes from low to high fidelity through testing and insights from data workstreams.
Deliverables:
Minimum Viable Service and Alpha data model.
Report on user needs for national and local systems.
Clear plan and cost model for the Beta phase.
Initial output
As part of our proposal, we created a preliminary service design that outlines the essential steps. This gave us a better grasp of the process and helped us develop our ideas further. Through an iterative approach, we learned from our mistakes and made improvements along the way. This resulted in a successful outcome for users and an Alpha-MVS that could be further developed in the Beta phase. During the Beta phase, we followed a similar cycle of design, testing, learning, and iterating to ensure that we continuously met the needs of our users as we worked towards the MVS.
User/Wire Flows
Sketches
“ The Medical Examiners programme has significantly improved the quality of care and transparency in patient outcomes. Its successful implementation has provided families with clearer communication and ensured a more compassionate process during challenging times.”
Spokesperson, Department of Health and Social Care
Conclusion
The successful development of this digital service has had a transformative impact on the Medical Examiner programme. It not only enhanced operational efficiency but also contributed to better public safety by ensuring more accurate and timely death certifications. This project demonstrates the importance of user-centred design and agile development in creating effective, scalable digital solutions for critical public services.