Project Details
Client: Google Health
Length: 24 hours
UX tools used: Figma, Google Meet
Team members: Cara Campbell, Cheryl Xu, Ogonna Jideobi, Beatrice Bu, Steven Harrison, Supreet Gill, Brodan Iredale, Maximillion Semchuk
Description: Google's newest division, Google Health, tasked us with creating a digital solution that will empower individuals and communities to access health care services
What is
Google AED?
Google AED is our digital solution to help empower and educate individuals and communities in order to make healthcare accessible for all. This platform focuses on educating vulnerable communities in the U.S. about available resources, in order to allow everyone to thrive when it comes to their health. The main feature of this solution involves a questionnaire to determine Medicaid/Medicare eligibility, and access to resources to help individuals get coverage. It also helps to navigate the complicated world of deductibles, co-pays and which health care centers near them accept government insurance.
Problem Space
At-risk populations are disproportionately affected when it comes to health care coverage. This is primarily due to confusion and lack of education surrounding Medicaid, and state-by-state differences when it comes to Medicaid expansion.
Constraints
The main constraint for this Hackathon was time. We were given 24 hours to research, choose a problem space, come up with a solution and present to Google. The data scientists had to generate some compelling data to justify our problem space, while web development worked through the night coding our design. Our marketing team also had to come up with a plan and finesse the presentation.
We also dealt with geographical constraints in the sense that we weren't all together in the same room, but we saw this as less of a constraint and more of an opportunity to work with a team of amazing people all over North America!
Current
Landscape
Nearly half of uninsured people in the U.S. are eligible for subsidized or free (Medicaid) insurance.
Uninsured people are disproportionately low-income, Latino and under the age of 35.
1/3 of uninsured people surveyed believed they couldn't afford subsidized insurance so didn't even bother looking into their options.
3 million people below the poverty line remain uninsured.
Over a two-year average period, 25% of beneficiaries leave the program due to complications in the renewal process.
Source: http://commonwealthfund.org
How might we make insurance information easily accessible to at-risk populations in order to ensure more eligible people receive the healthcare they need?
Our Solution
We wanted to come up with a solution that would help educate eligible, uninsured people about their healthcare options which would, in turn, increase access to healthcare for those who need it most. During our research and ideation process we found that many eligible Americans determined the application process was confusing due to state-by-state differences in eligibility, and not fully understanding what they were eligible for. Our solution is a division of Google Health called AED (Accessibility, Education, Diversity) which focuses on improving healthcare accessibility through education and resources to allow all Americans to thrive when it comes to their healthcare.
Google AED is a resource allowing people to fill out a questionnaire specific to their location to determine their eligibility for government-subsidized insurance. It also provides information about other government resources available to them, and helps them to navigate which health care institutions accept their form of health insurance. This digital solution can make proper healthcare accessible to millions of uninsured Americans, without the confusion that exists in the current landscape.
Storyboard +
Task Flow Diagram
Our main task flow focused on the user filling out a questionnaire to determine state-funded insurance eligibility. This would then bring them to a screen which would outline next steps in the application process, show them health care institutions near them which accept their insurance coverage and determine any deductibles/co-pays they would have to cover out-of-pocket.
Next Steps
Next steps for this project would include fully building out the features of Google AED to include step-by-step instructions to apply for Medicaid or other state-funded insurance programs. It would show side-by-side comparisons of different insurance options and help the user determine which is best for them. It would also include a comprehensive list of free and subsidized government resources available to eligible applicants based on their location. This could include access to resources for mental health, nutrition, new moms, new immigrants to America and so much more. The final goal of this project is to build a one-stop solution to help all Americans thrive, and to ensure all Americans and their families have access to the resources they need to live their healthiest life.