4D Wireframing as a Tool for Integrating Digital with Physical Touchpoints for an Elevated Patient Experience

Abstract

Digital tools should elevate, not hinder, the patient experience. In many clinical and nonclinical situations, doctors and caregivers end up spending more time in front of the screen than with the patient. Opportunities to leverage digital tools to make the patient experience better are frequently missed. Design has traditionally succeeded at creating great screen experiences. It has created effective environments in which patient care takes place. However, very rarely are those elements considered in a holistic, integrated manner. A tool to allow service design experts to design specifically for the integration of on- and off-screen experiences is completely missing. The 4D Wireframe tool steps into that void and offers a workflow that considers interaction steps and movement through space alike. The tool is a direct product of the author’s experience in traditional product development, service design, and digital user experience design. In this chapter, Vollmer introduces the tool, demonstrates the steps, and shares insights on how to best activate it in healthcare innovation projects.