Rachael Hunt
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Online booking flow

Data-informed fixes. Analytics and Hotjar showed where people dropped out of online booking. I removed a step, rewrote the copy and made it clear when a booking wasn't confirmed yet.

Role
Lead designer, with a product manager and the engineering team
Product
Best Health patient booking, Best Practice Software
Market
Australian patients
Methods
Analytics, Hotjar, user feedback, content design

Two places patients got stuck

Patients were getting stuck at two points in online booking. At the start, user feedback showed frustration with clinics that weren't taking new patients online. At the end, analytics and Hotjar showed drop-offs on the confirmation step.

1. Booking entry

Booking starts by checking whether a clinic is open to new patients. The old flow didn't make that clear: patients didn't find out a clinic wasn't taking new patients online until a second screen. Feedback was that these two-click denials were frustrating. The wording also discouraged patients from calling the clinic instead, so they didn't follow up.

Before

Old booking screen asking 'Is this appointment for an existing patient?' with Existing Patient and New Patient buttons Old second screen: 'Sorry, Liam's Lymphoma Clinic isn't accepting online appointments for new patients at this time'

After

New screen asking 'Have you been to this clinic before?' with a new-patient panel giving the clinic's phone number
Before: patients only learnt they couldn't book on a second screen. After: one screen, and a way forward.
  • Removed the second page. Patients see straight away whether they can book, with fewer clicks and less frustration.
  • Plain language. "Have you been to this clinic before?" replaces "Is this appointment for an existing patient?", removing jargon.
  • Solutions first. New patients get the clinic's phone number and a link back to its website, encouraging them to call.

2. Booking confirmation

Before an appointment is made, patients check their details. Many didn't realise this was a confirmation page: they read "Your appointment is not booked yet" as done, and left. The two buttons at the bottom were also easy to misclick.

Before

Old screen with a small 'Your appointment is not booked yet' line above the details and buttons at the bottom

After

New 'Is this correct?' screen with a 'Review and book your appointment' panel and the Book button next to the details
The 'unbooked' state is now impossible to miss, and the buttons sit with the appointment.
  • A clear warning. A "Review and book your appointment" panel stands out and draws attention.
  • Less to read. Clearer icons and larger text replace the field titles, reducing mental load.
  • Buttons moved. Placed with the appointment, which reduces "autoclicks" and links the action to what's being booked.

Outcome

These changes were part of the booking and onboarding redesign that removed 2 steps and reduced drop-offs.

Try the old flowTry the new flow

How I'd use AI now

This project was done before AI tools were part of my process. If I did it today:

  • Have AI watch the analytics for unusual drop-off at each step, so problems surface in days rather than at the next review.
  • Generate and compare many versions of the "not accepting new patients" and "not booked yet" messages, then A/B test the best two.
  • Check every screen against plain-language guidelines and reading level as part of each release.