Department of Health NI
Co-designing health services to inform and protect citizens
Co-designing a citizen-centred solution to help ease the pressure on our health service and provide the Northern Irish public with the most accurate and personalised information relating to COVID-19.
Problem
As the COVID-19 pandemic began to spread across the world, the pressure began to mount on GPs and emergency services. We were engaged by Health & Social Care in Northern Ireland to co-design a citizen-centred solution that would help ease that pressure on our services and provide the Northern Irish public with the most accurate and personalised information relating to the virus.
Approach
Working within the tightest imaginable time-frame we worked with a large group of experts and stakeholders to outline an initial solution. We explored best practice examples, mapped an end-to-end user journey and gathered data from in-depth user interviews. Working in partnership with Civica, we launched the mobile service in two weeks. Following a period of live testing, we have continued to support the successive release of new versions to enhance and personalise the service throughout the pandemic.
Outcome
Within a month from launch, the COVIDCare NI service was downloaded 50,000 times. This translated to a significant reduction of calls from concerned citizens to the 111 service. The app continues to evolve with the addition of expert content, self-isolation timer and a more personal experience. We have also developed a companion website to deliver the latest advice and allow users to check their symptoms without needing to download the app.
