NHS Direct Sitecore mobile Symptom Checker
A fast-loading highly usable mobile experience
As part of NHS Direct’s ongoing strategy to provide digital services, one of their goals is to increase their reach and enable more people assess their care needs autonomously and be directed to appropriate support services across the NHS. NHS Direct’s Symptom Checker service has been a success since launch in 2008, providing crucial support during the flu pandemic in 2009. The online service continues to deliver significant savings compared to the cost of handling these requests via call centres. The service was relaunched in 2010 on a Sitecore-based website, which included a strategic plan to offer the Symptom Checker to the mobile channel, giving the same experience to people away from a desktop environment.
Challenge
Fusionworkshop were approached by Transform Innovation Ltd on behalf of NHS Direct to work on one of the main challenges - to ensure that the mobile experience was fast-loading, highly usable and consistent both with the desktop experience and across a number of mobile devices. The mobile version of the existing NHS Direct Symptom Checker presents the same content so users are guaranteed a consistent experience.
Approach
Working to tight deadlines, a dedicated team from Fusionworkshop worked with a number of other specialists on the project including strategy consultants, designers and usability consultants. It was important that the end result was a true reflection of the NHS Direct brand. The approach taken was to build a set of Sitecore mobile layouts based on approved wireframes. Use of semantic, well structured lightweight technologies ensured that the experience was consistent across mobile browsers such as RIM (Blackberry), Safari, Opera mini. By using good validated markup, and a standards-based approach the Fusionworkshop team were able to deliver a consistent experience for feature phones, smart phones and experience phones.
Results
Because standards for the web on mobiles are still emerging the team worked to a cross-mobile solution. NHS Direct’s choice of Sitecore as the CMS enabled the use of different layouts for each channel. Sitecore’s inbuilt multi-rendering functionality allowed separate presentation layers to be used. Within a matter of weeks, a linearised version of the Symptom Checker was running on the chosen browsers, optimised for the smaller screen sizes and capabilities. The mobile experience was tested by independent usability experts across a range of handsets and received excellent feedback. The mobile version of the website was launched in October 2010
Fusionworkshop Managing Director, Chris Short commented: “We were delighted to be asked to work on this high profile and important project. Our experience with Sitecore and developing other mobile-friendly websites were a big advantage. The end result shows what can be achieved with a powerful CMS like Sitecore, good project management and the right skillsets.”
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“We recruited Fusionworkshop to support the development of NHS Direct’s mobile web service based on their expertise developing for the Sitecore CMS and their knowledge of mobile web. This combination of skills is a rare resource and - combined with their professionalism - provided the project with a skillset that ensured technological success. We’d consider working with Fusionworkshop on future opportunities – they’re a good natured team of experts who plan well and get the job done.”
Charlie Young,
Project Lead, Transform Innovation Ltd for NHS Direct
The national healthline, providing expert health advice, information and reassurance, using our world class telephone service and website, and to be the NHS’ provider of choice for telephone and digitally delivered health services.
www.nhsdirect.nhs.uk
“Fusionworkshop are an approachable team of experts who get the job done. Their combination of skills is a rare resource and, combined with their professionalism, provided the project with a skillset that ensured technological success....”
Charlie Young,
Project Lead, Transform Innovation Ltd for NHS Direct
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