Before the introduction of SIGN-IT and The Claim Managemnt, the admissions and claims process at Bon Secours was largely manual, inconsistent across sites, and difficult to manage at scale. There were no unified workflows, just a patchwork of local practices, workarounds, and paperwork.

Some of the most pressing issues included:

• Pre-admissions were handled over the phone, leading to frequent communication errors.
• Patients didn’t complete claim forms until arrival, resulting in delays, stress, and inaccuracies.
• In some facilities, claim forms were mailed to patients before appointments, creating administrative burden and often leading to lost or delayed documentation.
• Some sites used digital claim systems, while others relied entirely on post, making it hard to track approvals, denials, or required amendments in a standardised way.
• Patient signatures were frequently missed or improperly captured, triggering follow-ups and compliance risks.
• Change requests from insurers, or between third-party billers and consultants, were scattered across email threads or even sent by post, adding to the confusion and slowing down resolution. 

External

• Patients
  From tech-savvy to digitally hesitant, often anxious about hospital visits or unclear paperwork.
  Fears: Digital overload, loss of control, inaccessible forms.
  Needs: Clarity, ease of use, autonomy, and a sense of inclusion.

• Consultants & Secretaries
  Adding clinical data to claims, often juggling multiple patients and workflows.
  Fears: Complex interfaces, repeated data entry.
  Needs: Simplicity and minimal disruption.

• Third-Party Billers
  Managing claims on behalf of consultants.
  Fears: Incomplete records, limited access to information.
  Needs: Seamless handovers and flexible access.

• Insurers
  Reviewing, validating, and paying claims.
  Fears: Incomplete submissions, poor documentation quality.
  Needs: Consistency, clarity, and traceability.

From the start, it was clear that a single interface couldn’t support the complexity of this ecosystem. Each user group worked in different contexts, with unique workflows and levels of digital comfort. This led us to a key design insight: the platform needed multiple entry points, tailored to the real-world conditions of each user.

We defined three interconnected interfaces:

• Mobile App: For patients to complete pre-admission steps remotely, giving them clarity and control before arriving at the hospital.

• Tablet Kiosk: For on-site use, allowing patients to review and sign documents digitally at reception.

• Web Application: For clerical staff to complete pre-admission on behalf of patients and send signature requests directly to the tablet kiosk to ask patients to sign in person, and for the hospital biller to be able to collate efficiently a claim pack and have the proper visibility of each claim status on almost real time.

Despite serving different needs, we ensured the experience remained cohesive across all platforms. A unified design system, shared components, and consistent interaction patterns created a sense of continuity, making it feel like one seamless product, no matter the touchpoint.

Patient Mobile App.

Enables patients to conveniently complete their pre-admission paperwork digitally from their mobile phones before arriving at the hospital, significantly reducing stress and paperwork errors.

Patients can easily pick a digitalised signature, which has proven to be very effective to encourage engagement on elderly population.

Tablet Kiosk.

A user-friendly tablet placed at the hospital admission desks allowing patients to securely capture digital signatures if not previously captured via the mobile app.

Patients can scan the QR code sisplayed on the tablet and complete the pre admissions request on the desk or waiting area of the hospital.

Web Application.

Allows clerical officers to complete the pre-admission form on behalf of the patient using a computer.

Once completed, the signature request can be broadcast directly to the tablet for the patient to sign.

This flexibility ensures accessibility for patients who may not have completed the process beforehand or who prefer assistance onsite.

A centralized platform collating and organizing all documentation related to patient claims.

Automatic preparation of claims for submission to insurers, ensuring accuracy, ease of tracking, and efficient handling of insurer responses.

Built-in digital signature capture for consultants and patients, ensuring compliance and accuracy.

One of the most impactful outcomes from early workshops was identifying that hospital billers relied heavily on emails to request changes from third-party billers and consultants.

These conversations were hard to track, led to versioning issues, and often got lost. I advocated for an internal commenting system to centralise communication within the platform.

Although it wasn’t part of the initial scope and took effort to get stakeholder buy-in, it’s now one of the most-used features in BECS, and has become essential to their daily workflow.