SurgeryPrep
Personalised Surgical Guidance to Reduce Patient Anxiety and Clinical Overload
A personalised mobile companion designed to guide patients through their surgical journey with clear, timely, and emotionally supportive information.
The Challenge
Patients undergoing surgery often face a stressful and information-heavy experience. Traditional communication methods frequently fail to support patients when they actually need guidance.
"I felt completely lost after my surgery consultation. The leaflet they gave me was confusing, and I couldn't remember half of what the doctor said. I ended up calling the hospital three times just to ask basic questions." — Sarah, knee surgery patient
Core Problems Identified
- Patients forget 40–80% of medical information immediately after consultations
- Printed instructions are easily misplaced or misunderstood
- Anxiety peaks before surgery due to unclear preparation steps
- Healthcare staff spend significant time answering repetitive patient questions
System Impact
This breakdown in communication leads to increased patient stress, reduced adherence to instructions, and avoidable strain on already limited clinical resources.
My Role
UX/UI Designer
Team Size
5 members (healthcare-focused)
Tools Used
Collaboration
- Healthcare Professionals
- Patient Advisors
- Clinical Stakeholders
Project Status
Design concept validated through user testing with patients and healthcare providers
Solution Vision
SurgeryPrep was designed as a personalised, timeline-based mobile companion that adapts to each patient's surgery type and recovery stage. The app delivers information progressively, supports emotional reassurance, and provides actionable guidance exactly when patients need it.
Design Goals
- Reduce cognitive overload
- Increase patient confidence and preparedness
- Improve adherence to surgical instructions
- Reduce repetitive patient–clinician communication
Design Process
Research → Insights → Ideation → Solution → Results
Research: Understanding the Human Experience
Research Objective
To understand the emotional and practical challenges patients face throughout the surgical journey, while also identifying communication pain points experienced by healthcare providers.
Methods Used
Patient Interviews
8 participants across orthopedic, cardiac, and general surgeries
Healthcare Professional Interviews
5 clinicians (3 surgeons, 2 nurses)
Journey Mapping
Documented emotional highs and lows from diagnosis to recovery
Pain Point Analysis
Identified critical communication gaps across the journey
"We answer the same five questions about post-surgery care at least 20 times a day. If patients had access to this information when they needed it, we could focus on more complex cases." — Dr. Martinez, Orthopedic Surgeon
Why This Research
Qualitative research was intentionally prioritised to uncover emotional stressors—such as fear, uncertainty, and information overload—that directly affect patient behaviour but are often invisible in clinical documentation.
Stakeholder Management
Coordinated stakeholder alignment between clinical staff (surgeons, nurses) and hospital administration, translating complex medical requirements into patient-friendly design while managing regulatory and privacy constraints.
Research Synthesis & Key Insights
Anxiety peaks 24–48 hours before surgery due to uncertainty about preparation steps
Post-surgery instructions are poorly retained, leading to repeated calls to clinicians
Personalised, time-based information significantly improves patient confidence and compliance
These insights shaped every subsequent design decision.
Insights: Defining the Design Challenge
Problem Statement
How might we transform complex medical instructions into clear, timely, and emotionally supportive guidance that helps patients feel confident throughout their surgical journey—while reducing unnecessary communication burden on healthcare staff?
Design Questions
User Personas
Two primary personas were created to represent both sides of the system:
Primary Patient Persona
- Emotionally anxious and overwhelmed
- Motivated to "do everything right"
- Easily overloaded by dense medical language
Healthcare Provider Persona
- Time-constrained
- Frustrated by repeated questions
- Concerned with patient safety and compliance
Design Implication: Because patients were often cognitively overloaded, advanced customisation and dense dashboards were deprioritised in favour of guided defaults, progressive disclosure, and reassurance-driven design.
Ideation: From Problems to Solutions
Ideation Approach
- Crazy 8s and brainstorming sessions
- Over 20 concepts explored
- Value vs. effort matrix used for prioritization
Tradeoffs Considered
Features such as live chat and real-time clinician messaging were intentionally excluded due to:
- Clinical risk and liability
- Scalability concerns
- Regulatory complexity
Focus remained on clarity, safety, and feasibility.
Core Features Prioritised
Personalised Surgery Timeline
Dynamic guidance tailored to surgery type and recovery stage
Interactive Checklists
Real-time task completion to reduce uncertainty
Smart FAQ System
Contextual answers surfaced based on where users are in their journey
Recovery Tracking
Symptom logging with gentle alerts for concerning trends
Gentle Reminders
Non-overwhelming notifications designed to support—not stress—users
Educational Content
Bite-sized, plain-language medical information delivered progressively
Information Architecture
A clear and intuitive information structure was created to support effortless navigation throughout the surgical journey, ensuring users always knew:
- Where they were
- What to do next
- What mattered most right now
Solution: Design & Validation
Design Principles
- Reduce cognitive load
- Anticipate emotional anxiety peaks
- Maintain medical credibility without intimidation
- Support users through progressive disclosure
Design Evolution
Low-fidelity wireframes established core flows, then iterative testing refined hierarchy and clarity. A scalable design system ensured consistency and accessibility.
The design system prioritised a calm, reassuring aesthetic while maintaining medical credibility. Every colour, typography choice, and interaction was designed to reduce anxiety and build confidence based on psychological design principles.
Results: Impact & Validation
Usability Testing & Validation
Testing Conducted
- 5 usability testing sessions (3 patients, 2 clinicians)
- Task-based scenarios across key flows
Key Outcomes
- 100% task completion rate
- Users described the experience as "reassuring" and "much clearer than leaflets"
- Clinicians identified strong potential for reduced call volume
- Navigation required little to no explanation
Improvements Made
- Simplified medical terminology
- Enhanced visual hierarchy for critical information
- Refined notification timing to avoid alert fatigue
- Added voice-over capability for accessibility
Final Design Screens
Explore the complete user experience across key touchpoints in the surgical journey:
Client Testimonial
"Andrew's empathetic approach to design was exactly what this project needed. He navigated the complex stakeholder landscape — from surgeons to administrators — with remarkable skill, ensuring clinical accuracy while keeping the patient experience at the forefront. The app has dramatically reduced pre-surgery anxiety calls to our nursing staff, and patient feedback has been overwhelmingly positive. His ability to balance medical requirements with user-friendly design is exceptional."
Dr. Emma Wilson
Director of Patient Experience, Regional Hospital Network
Results: Impact & Next Steps
What Was Achieved
SurgeryPrep successfully addressed core patient pain points while demonstrating measurable value for healthcare providers. The solution validated how thoughtful UX design can bridge the gap between medical expertise and patient empowerment.
Key Learnings
- Timing is everything: Context-aware delivery reduces anxiety
- Language matters: Empathetic wording builds trust
- Personalisation scales impact: Relevant information increases adherence without increasing complexity
Recommended Next Steps
Final Reflection
SurgeryPrep demonstrated how human-centered design can meaningfully improve healthcare experiences. By prioritizing patient emotions, clarity, and trust over feature quantity, the product became more than an app—it became a supportive guide during one of life's most stressful moments.
The greatest validation came not from usability metrics, but from a patient who said:
"For the first time, I felt like I knew what was happening to my body."
This project reinforced my belief that great UX design has the power to reduce anxiety, build confidence, and ultimately improve lives—especially in high-stakes, emotionally charged environments like healthcare.