I teach undergrads at a prestigious programme in a research university. Most of my students don't know how to copy a file from a folder to another on their computer. I teach computer-based skills and it's often a source of grief and self doubt to these able, confident, well off young people. On a few occasions, of tears.
My mother, disabled and with a mental health condition, has dropped out from her #cancer treatment because she wasn't able to get through the ticketing system at the reception of the hospital. She lived in the capital, had a caring daughter available on the phone, and a network of support.
I just got a glimpse of the #autism treatment in the #Netherlands, a progressive country with high digital literacy. Autism diagnosis requires a referral from a GP, but the GP does not necessarily know much about autism and autism treatment centers are extremely specific about what needs to be mentioned in the referral. I am told that many autistic people have difficulty making phone calls. The autism diagnosis and treatment facility can only be contacted by phone. The waiting time for appointment is 30 weeks and, when the appointment takes place and your case turns out to differ in any way from what your uninformed GP has written in the referral, your case gets rejected and you have to get a new referral and start again. The GP could get instructions from the treatment center via a dedicated system called zorgmail, but neither side knows how to use it. If you manage to log into the online appointment system that is, which does not work and has no contact information to any support. I, a numerate computer nerd who enjoys puzzles, needed three days to crack it.
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☠️ #uxdesign saves lives ⛑️
🏥 #uxdesign should be obligatory in the process of #patient intake and journey 💉
👧 Digital medical services should be accessible to teenagers with confidence issues and elderly people terrified by a terminal diagnosis. 👴 🤰 👨🦯
