Dialpad Insession

Introduced an insession dial pad for video healthcare sessions to eliminate session drop offs and seamlessly connect to and navigate IVR systems without leaving the visit.

Role
Discovery, Research, Design

The User

The providers were the main user group for this feature, as they would only have access to the dialpad. However, it was important that the experience during the audio call wouldn’t cause confusion for the patients or any other interprets or other providers in the session.

Goal

Implement a dedicated in-session dial pad that supports integrated IVR connectivity, decreasing the need to add additional providers or interpreters helping maintain continuity of care. This functionality currently exists on the bluestream product that will be consolidated by the eVisit platform.

Discovery

To begin discovery, I conducted user interviews & moderated usability testing with 5 participants about the current bluestream product functionality to determine what was working currently and what could be improved. I was added to the visit and the provider would add the additional provider or interpreter and connect to a IVR.

Many of these providers also use other telehealth platforms as a secondary choice.

Based on the my initial discovery work, I created a current workflow of process of using the dialpad.

Key Findings:

The current bluestream dialpad did work however, it was not as intuitive to find where the dialpad was located. For many providers, they hesitated while looking for the dialpad functionality.

Once the dialpad was open, it was closed and there was not a record of the previously typed numbers - lacked feedback.

While using a backup telehealth platform, I noticed that the dialpad was connected to a phone number rather than the entire session. I noticed that there was less congitive load and that providers knew where to find the dialpad this way.

Best Practices

Reviewed telehealth standards and audio/video conference standards, patterns, and best practices related to dial pad usage during video sessions.

Key Findings:

Dial pad interactions should be available within the video session rather than requiring a separate phone call.

Supporting dial pad interaction within the video session reduces cognitive load and preserves care continuity.

The dial pad experience must clearly communicate when IVR input is required and provide feedback confirming successful input.

The dial pad should be accessible on demand, visually restrained, and easy to dismiss without interrupting the provider and patient conversation.

Dial pad buttons must meet accessibility standards, with clear labeling, adequate spacing, and feedback for each input.

Competitive Analysis

I created a matrix of dialpad/telephony related capabilities based on Amwell, Teladoc, and Doximity. This would enable us to further review what functionalities should be prioritized.

Key Findings:

Doximity, which many of our providers use as a backup solution, emphasizes an audio-first call workflow that supports dial pad interaction and call shielding. This approach results in a lightweight, intuitive experience that is easy for clinicians to adopt and use.

Teladoc provides phone visits and web/video visits, but without obvious in-visit dial pad navigation.

Platforms that expose a dial pad during an active session (Amwell, Doximity) better support real-world clinical workflows such as calling patients who haven’t joined, navigating automated phone menus, or adding interpreters. Teladoc’s lack of an in-session phone dial pad increases reliance on external tools or pre-visit setup, introducing friction during live care delivery.

Research

Ideation

I partnered with the program manager and engineering lead to facilitate a feature prioritization canvas, aligning on technical feasibility, user needs, and business impact. Following this collaborative exercise, I translated our priorities into an updated workflow that reflected the refined end-to-end experience.

I designed two variations based off our findings and created a usability test to determine which variation would be best for providers.

Ideation 1- Tiered Modal with dialpad on hover

The invite participants modal could use the tiered modal styling and be a third option. To reopen the dialpad, it could be available on hover (which currently has an option to pin the participant). The drawback of this design would be not addressing the awareness piece, as well as accounting for additional front doors of entering a visit.

Ideation 2- Calling Awareness

After the call is placed, it would appear on the top right for awareness. You could then open the dialpad this way while calling if needed. This also allows for an intutive and easy access for a hangup option. Additionally, this wouldn’t require any changes to the invite participant modal.

Key Findings

Usability results indicated that Ideation 2 reduced the time it took providers to locate the dial pad and led to fewer hesitations and misclicks compared to the first concept. I designed two variations based off our findings and created a usability test to determine which variation would be best for providers.

MVP

Next Steps/ Future Iteration

  • Explore opportunities to integrate adding an interpreter prior the session start

  • Identify opportunities to enhance the calling experience through call shielding and call nudging, reducing friction and optimizing providers time during telehealth sessions.