Sonic Healthcare Patient Portal and App Design Build Across Five Entities

The Background

Sonic Healthcare approached us to upgrade their basic online portal, which allowed doctors to view patient reports and scans. The existing system offered limited features and was not responsive across all devices. The portal is to be used by five different entities under Sonic Healthcare radiology practices across Australia.
We saw an opportunity to create a product that not only serves doctors and referrers but also empowers patients to access and download their scans and reports.

The Challenge

Our challenge was to create something simple, yet complex. We knew that to achieve a successful outcome, a user would need to be able to pick up the app and, with no training at all, access their images and reports, as well as notate and forward as required.

The deceptively simple interface is underpinned by sophisticated and robust systems. This required seamless integration with multiple third-party systems and platforms, as well as the development of middleware to bridge the main website and the application.

Effective communication with multiple stakeholders presented another challenge, as we were both reporting to and receiving feedback from numerous parties. We diligently worked to maintain stakeholder satisfaction throughout the process.

Our Approach

We undertook a series of user-experience and scoping workshops, which revealed deeper platform needs and opportunities. The project evolved into a large-scale integration effort alongside the development of a portal and apps for doctors AND patients.

We started with low-fidelity wireframes to map out key flows, then moved quickly into high-fidelity prototyping to engage with stakeholders. We invested a significant amount of time in the onboarding process and prototyped several scenarios.

Our design process prioritised mobile-first, based on user statistics. Designs were then extended to desktop and tablet screens, defining breakpoints accordingly. We designed once for the five entities and then quickly and easily applied the logo and colour identity of each, streamlining the process.

On the development side, we developed a single codebase and created configurable elements, allowing each entity to enable or disable different functionalities.

The Outcome

We’ve successfully built and rolled out five tailored apps, built using Ionic, to all Sonic Healthcare radiology practices across Australia: Queensland X-Ray, Hunter Imaging, SKG, Castlereagh Imaging, and Illawarra Radiology Group. Each one was set up to pull in the right data for its respective entity.

Our client confirmed that the user experience we delivered was significantly superior to that of their competitors, and customer engagement doubled.

While the partnership has since concluded, the strength of the relationship during the development was evident in the success of the product. Working closely with key stakeholders enabled us to deliver meaningful outcomes.

Why It Worked

The project’s success was built on open communication. Although the project’s scope changed significantly over time, we kept the client actively engaged and ensured they understood what was included and excluded from the scope at all times.

From the outset, we saw a clear opportunity to create something that would fill a gap in the current market. We streamlined where we could, but also knew where we would dig in, investing time and care in the details that truly mattered, especially in areas such as user experience and security. The result speaks for itself: a purpose-built solution that does the job and scales with need.