Project Part 2 (Gathering Requirement: Task Analysis)
INTRODUCTION
The system provides digital access to core medical services such as appointment booking, bill payment, and viewing medical records. Similar to platforms used by private and public healthcare providers, this application allows patients, staff, and general users to interact with healthcare services remotely without needing to visit a clinic or hospital counter. The purpose of evaluating this system is to understand how real users currently complete important healthcare-related tasks, identify usability issues, and derive design requirements that will support the development of the proposed healthcare solution.
For the observation, three essential tasks were chosen from the existing healthcare application:
Book Appointment
Users locate a doctor, select a hospital or department, choose a date and time, and confirm a medical appointment.
2. Pay Bills
Users access the billing section, review outstanding charges, select a payment method, and complete the transaction.
View Medical Report
Users navigate to medical records, browse available reports, and open specific documents such as lab results or consultation summaries.
These three tasks represent the core functionalities expected in modern digital healthcare systems and provide a suitable basis for analysing user behaviour and system interaction.
DERIVATION OF HTA
HTA For Task 1 - Book Appointment
Link
1) User 1 - Zaid
2) User 2 - Hanan
3) User 3 - Nazhif
Textual Presentation
1) User 1 - Zaid
1.1 Authenticate
1.1.1 Login using password or biometric
1.2 Choose appointment type/location
1.2.1 Select hospital branch
1.2.2 Select consultation type
1.3 Select doctor/service
1.3.1 Browse doctor list
1.3.2 Choose doctor
1.4 Select date and time
1.4.1 View calendar
1.4.2 Pick available time slot
1.5 Confirm patient details
1.5.1 Select patient profile
1.5.2 Verify details
1.6 Confirm booking and pay if required
1.6.1 Review details
1.6.2 Make payment (if needed)
1.7 Receive confirmation
1.7.1 Display booking confirmation
1.7.2 Receive notification/email
2) User 2 - Hanan
1.0 Book an appointment
1.1 Choose appointment type/location
1.1.1 Select hospital branch
1.1.2 Select consultation type
1.2 Select doctor/service
1.2.1 Browse doctor list
1.2.2 Choose doctor
1.3 Select date and time
1.3.1 View calendar
1.3.2 Pick available time slot
1.4 Confirm patient details
1.4.1 Select patient profile
1.4.2 Verify details
1.5 Confirm booking and pay if required
1.5.1 Review details
1.6 Receive confirmation
1.6.1 Display booking confirmation
1.6.2 Receive notification/email
3) User 3 - Nazhif
1.0 Book an appointment
1.1 Select “Book Appointment”
1.2 Choose department/doctor
1.3 Pick date and time
1.4 Confirm appointment
1.4.1 Review and submit
1.5 Receive confirmation
Diagram Presentation
1) User 1 - Zaid
2) User 2 - Hanan
3) User 3 - Nazhif
Findings for Task 1
The HTA Analysis for Task 1 (Booking Appointment) on the KPJ Cares app shows that the workflow to complete the following task is consistent amongst all the users. This would be an indication that the app follows a standardized and predictable structure that can help users to easily understand the system and repeat the task easily. That being said, differences do appear on the Student part where they start with an authentication before moving on to the booking part compared to the Doctor and the Management however this may just be a difference in thinking among the users where the Students explained the system more into details while the Doctor and the Management appear to be more streamlined and simple.
When comparing the HTAs, several deeper behavioural differences emerge. User 1 (the Student) followed the appointment booking process in a very linear and descriptive manner, verbalizing each screen element and interpreting instructions carefully. This created additional subtasks in his HTA, such as rechecking the chosen doctor or revisiting the calendar before confirming the slot. This reflects a user who is cautious, less familiar with medical systems, and dependent on interface clarity. User 2 (the Doctor) demonstrated a more targeted and professional approach, immediately searching for specific doctors or specialties using available filters. Her HTA is shorter and more efficient, revealing domain knowledge and comfort with navigating healthcare interfaces. User 3 (the Management Officer) navigated the task even more smoothly, showing minimal hesitation. His HTA is the most streamlined, as he quickly selected departments and time slots without extra verification loops, likely due to his familiarity with clinic workflows.
The think-aloud data also highlighted several usability observations, all users commented on the doctor-selection interface, expressing either confusion or expectations for better filtering options. User 1 took longer to interpret the doctor list, while user 2 expected advanced filters, and user 3 expected faster load times and clearer labels. Furthermore, two of the users expressed uncertainty about whether the time slot they selected was successfully reserved until they reached the confirmation screen, indicating that the app offers limited immediate visual feedback after a slot is chosen.
Several usability issues can be identified across all three HTAs:
• Users struggled to locate or interpret doctor and specialty options quickly.
• The calendar interface demanded multiple taps to navigate to future dates.
• Feedback after selecting a time slot was minimal, causing hesitation.
• Auto-fill for patient details was inconsistent, leading to repeated manual checks.
Overall, Task 1 shows that while the appointment booking function is usable and structured, the execution is not fully optimized for different user types. Experienced users (Doctor and Management) move through the task quickly but still encounter inefficiencies, while less experienced users (Student) perform extra cognitive checks. The system would benefit from clearer navigation, improved filtering, stronger visual feedback, and reduced manual input to support all users in completing the task with confidence and efficiency.
HTA For Task 2 - Paying The Bills
Link
1) User 1 - Zaid
2) User 2 - Hanan
3) User 3 - Nazhif
Textual Presentation
1) User 1 - Zaid
2.1 Authenticate
2.1.1 Login or re-verify identity
2.2 Open billing dashboard
2.2.1 View outstanding bills
2.3 Select invoice
2.3.1 Open invoice details
2.4 Choose payment method
2.4.1 Select card/FPX/e-wallet
2.5 Authorize payment
2.5.1 Complete OTP or bank auth
2.6 Receive confirmation
2.6.1 Display payment success
2.6.2 Generate receipt
2.7 Update billing records
2.7.1 Mark invoice as paid
2.7.2 Save receipt in history
2) User 2 - Hanan
2.1 Authenticate
2.1.1 Open app
2.1.2 Login
2.2 Navigate to Payment / Billing section
2.2.1 Open main menu
2.2.2 Select “Billing / Payment”
2.3 Select the outstanding bill
2.3.1 View list of outstanding bills
2.3.2 Select bill to pay
2.4 Review bill details
2.4.1 Check bill items
2.4.2 Proceed to payment
2.5 Select payment method
2.5.1 Choose method (online banking / card)
2.5.2 Select specific bank (if needed)
2.6 Process payment and wait for confirmation
2.6.1 Redirect to bank portal
2.6.2 Complete payment
2.6.3 Return to app
2.7 Download / View receipt
2.7.1 View payment confirmation
2.7.2 Download or save receipt
3) User 3 - Nazhif
2.1 Authenticate
2.1.1 log in to the system
2.2 Navigate to the dashboard
2.2.1 lands on home screen where main menu options appear
2.3 Go to “Billing”
2.4 View pending bills
2.5 Select a bill
2.6 Choose payment method
2.7 Confirm payment
2.7.1 Check amount and submit
2.8 View receipt
Diagram Presentation
1) User 1 - Zaid
2) User 2 - Hanan
3) User 3 - Nazhif
Findings For Task 2
The HTAs for Task 2 show that although all three users eventually completed the bill payment process, the sequence and complexity of their subtasks varied according to their familiarity with digital payment systems. In general, the task requires multiple stages which is to authenticate, locating the billing section, selecting the correct invoice, choosing the payment method, authorizing the payment, and confirming the success. This indicates that the task is multi-step, high-cognitive, and involves frequent decision points.
From the comparison of the three users, several behavioural differences emerged. User 1 (Zaid) navigated the payment flow more quickly and confidently. He identified the billing section without hesitation and completed payment with minimal delays. His HTA had a clear linear structure with fewer repeated actions. User 2 (Hanan) showed more systematic but slower behaviour. She checked bill details carefully, re-read itemized charges, and double-validated the bank portal before authorizing payment. Her HTA contained additional loops such as re-opening the invoice and toggling between options, indicating a need for higher assurance. User 3 (Nazhif) demonstrated the simplest navigation pattern likely due to his familiarity with administrative systems but paused during payment selection because he was unsure which method was most appropriate. This introduced minor delays and a slight divergence in subtask flow.
Thinking aloud revealed further insights. All users expressed uncertainty during the step where the system redirected to external bank portals. Phrases such as “Is this the right page?” or “Why does it load slowly?” reflect anxiety caused by inconsistent UI design between the app and the external banking interface. Additionally, two users mentioned difficulty locating the receipt or confirmation message afterward, indicating that feedback and visibility of success were not prominent enough.
Across all three HTAs, several usability issues became apparent:
• The Billing section is not immediately visible, requiring navigation through menus.
• The redirection to bank portals causes confusion, interrupting the task flow.
• The receipt is not clearly displayed after payment.
• Steps such as verifying details and choosing payment methods are repeated by cautious users, increasing task duration.
Overall, Task 2 demonstrates that bill payment is functional but not optimized. Differences in HTA structures show that inexperienced or cautious users perform extra verification steps, while confident users still face friction during redirection and receipt retrieval. The system should improve visibility, simplify navigation, and provide clearer confirmation to support all user types.
HTA For Task 3 - View Medical Report
Link
1) User 1 - Zaid
2) User 2 - Hanan
3) User 3 - Nazhif
Textual Presentation
1) User 1 - Zaid
3.1 Authenticate
3.1.1 Login or biometric verification
3.2 Select patient profile
3.2.1 Choose self or dependent
3.3 Select report type/date
3.3.1 Choose report category
3.3.2 Select specific report
3.4 View summary
3.4.1 Display key results/indicators
3.5 Open full report
3.5.1 View PDF or detailed data
3.6 Download/share/report
3.6.1 Download PDF
3.7 Follow-up options
3.7.1 Request consultation if needed
2) User 2 - Hanan
3.1 Authenticate
3.1.1 Open app
3.1.2 Log in
3.2 Navigate to Records / Report section
3.2.1 Go to dashboard
3.2.2 Select “My Medical Reports”
3.3 Search / Filter for specific report type
3.3.1 Scroll through report list
3.3.2 Apply filter or search
3.3.3 Select the correct report
3.4 Access and open the specific report
3.4.1 Tap the report file
3.4.2 Open PDF viewer or summary
3.5 Review the report details
3.5.1 Read important values
3.5.2 Compare with normal ranges
3.6 Exit report viewing
3.6.1 Tap back button
3.6.2 Return to main screen
3) User 3 - Nazhif
3.1 Authentication
3.1.1 Log in to the system
3.2 Navigate to dashboard
3.2.1 Opens main menu where patient features are listed
3.3 Go to “Medical Records”
3.4 Browse history
3.5 Select a record
3.6 View details
Diagram Presentation
1) User 1 - Zaid
2) User 2 - Hanan
3) User 3 - Nazhif
Findings For Task 3
The HTAs for Task 3 show that viewing a medical report involves multiple layers of navigation, including authentication, locating the medical records section, selecting the correct report, and opening the document. Unlike bill payment, this task relies heavily on information retrieval, which requires clear organization and intuitive browsing. The findings reveal that the overall process is moderately complex, with several opportunities for user confusion.
Across the three HTAs, differences emerged in how users searched for their reports. User 1 (Zaid) followed a straightforward path which he authenticated, selected his profile, chose the report category, and opened the correct file. His behaviour suggests he is familiar with reading digital university or clinic-related documents. User 2 (Hanan) displayed more analytical behaviour. She scrolled through the list, applied filters, and double-checked the report date and type before opening it. Her HTA contained additional subtasks related to comparing values and reviewing medical indicators, showing that more experienced or medically knowledgeable users interact deeper with the content. User 3 (Nazhif) relied primarily on browsing rather than searching. His HTA suggests that the layout showing a long history of records and could overwhelm users who manage multiple patient entries.
Thinking aloud comments highlighted a few consistent issues. All three users expressed uncertainty when trying to locate the correct category, such as “Medical Records,” “Reports,” or similar labels. This indicates a lack of naming consistency in the interface. Two users also struggled when scrolling through lengthy lists of records, expressing frustration such as “Why are these not sorted?” or “Hard to find the most recent report.” Meanwhile, one user mentioned that the PDF viewer loaded slowly and did not highlight important information, making it harder to read lab results quickly.
The HTAs also highlight several usability challenges:
• Reports are not organized clearly, making filtering or searching necessary.
• Important report categories (e.g., “Blood Test,” “X-Ray,” “Consultation Notes”) lack strong visual hierarchy.
• Users must scroll extensively to find older or newer reports.
• The PDF viewer does not show key results upfront, forcing users to zoom and navigate.
• The terminology used in buttons or menus may be ambiguous for less technical users.
In summary, Task 3 demonstrates that viewing medical reports is functional but currently not optimized for fast retrieval or clarity. Different users adopt different strategies which are searching, browsing, or filtering depending on their comfort level and medical knowledge. However, all users experienced some friction locating reports and interpreting long lists. The system should improve report organization, strengthen menu labelling, enable filtering by date/type, and display key medical values more prominently.
DESIGN REQUIREMENTS
The design requirements for the proposed healthcare application were derived from the three core tasks, Book Appointment, Pay Bills, and View Medical Report, together with insights from the personas and their scenarios. Each persona highlights different expectations, pain points, and goals, which translate into functional and usability requirements for the system. The following requirements ensure that the application is efficient, intuitive, and capable of addressing real user needs across different roles.
1. Functional Requirements
1.1 Appointment Booking Functionality
Based on Persona 1 (Zaid), the system must:
Provide a simple, step-by-step appointment booking flow with minimal manual input.
Auto-fill user details such as name, matric/IC number, and previous visit history.
Display real-time availability of doctors and consultation slots.
Include clear filters for hospital branch, consultation type, and doctor specialty.
Provide instant booking confirmation and reminders for scheduled appointments.
1.2 Integrated Billing and Payment
Based on Persona 2 (Hanan), the system must:
Show outstanding bills clearly on the dashboard immediately after login.
Provide itemized bill breakdown (consultation, tests, medication).
Support multiple secure payment options such as FPX, card, and e-wallets.
Allow users to download or save payment receipts automatically.
Ensure a fast, low-effort payment flow that suits users with limited time.
1.3 Medical Report Access
Based on Persona 3 (Nazhif), the system must:
Provide a centralized record hub where all medical history is stored and easily accessible.
Allow users to search and filter reports (by date, report type, or doctor).
Display reports in a clean, readable format with key information highlighted.
Allow reports to be downloaded, shared, or referenced for future consultations.
Ensure secure access to protect confidential medical information.
2. Interaction & Usability Requirements
2.1 Fast, Predictable Navigation
All personas expect quick access to core features. Therefore, the system must:
Use a consistent bottom navigation bar with main features: Appointment, Billing, Reports, Profile.
Use clear labels (e.g., “Medical Records”, not ambiguous wording).
Display the most commonly used features immediately on the homepage.
2.2 Reduce Physical and Cognitive Effort
Minimize form-filling by using auto-saved profiles.
Display progress indicators for tasks such as booking or payment.
Present important actions (e.g., “Book Now”, “Pay Bill”, “View Report”) as large, easy-to-tap buttons.
Enable one-hand mobile usage, especially for tired or sick users (e.g., Zaid).
2.3 Support Different User Types
Students like Zaid: require speed, simplicity, and minimal steps.
Medical students like Hanan: require detailed accuracy, transparency, and proper documentation.
Clinic officer like Nazhif: require fast data retrieval and organized information.
Thus:
Provide both search and category browsing methods.
Use clear fonts, high-contrast themes, and readable layouts.
2.4 Clear Feedback and Error Handling
Show visual confirmation after every action (booking, payment, downloading report).
Warn users immediately if time slots become unavailable or if payment fails.
Allow users to undo or edit selections before final submission.
3. Technical & Security Requirements
3.1 Secure Authentication
Since medical data is sensitive, the system must:
Support biometric login (Face ID, fingerprint).
Require multi-factor authentication for high-risk features such as payment.\
Encrypt all stored and transmitted medical information.
3.2 Reliable Performance
Appointment schedules, bills, and medical reports should load within 3 seconds.
Search functions must respond immediately to reduce waiting time during busy clinic hours.
The system should sync with the clinic or hospital database in real time to reflect up-to-date records.
3.3 Error-Free Integration with Hospital Systems
Synchronize patient appointments, billing status, and medical reports instantly.
Prevent duplication of records and ensure appointment slots are not double-booked.
Allow clinic staff to access shared information to support front-desk operations.
REFERENCES
Human Computer Interaction Slide - 05a Discovering Requirements
Human Computer Interaction Slide - 05b Data Gathering and Note
Human Computer Interaction Slide - 05c - More on Personas, Scenarios & HTA LINK FOR REPORT: Project Part 2 (Gathering Requirement: Task Analysis)
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