ISSO Healthcare

I led a service design project to understand why international students struggle to navigate the U.S. healthcare system, and to redesign how their insurer's digital tools support them across the entire care journey.

Healthcare

Healthcare

Role

Service Designer

Duration

3 Months

Client

SCAD & Anthem

ISSO Healthcare Casestudy
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Healthcare

ISSO Healthcare

I led a service design project to understand why international students struggle to navigate the U.S. healthcare system, and to redesign how their insurer's digital tools support them across the entire care journey.

Role

Service Designer

Duration

2.5 Months

Client

SCAD & Anthem

ISSO Healthcare Casestudy
Don't wanna read? Let me tell you the story in my voice!!
0:000:00

TL;DR

Problem

International students face challenges navigating the U.S. healthcare system, including information gaps and communication barriers. Many struggle with medical terminology, and non-native English speakers find it difficult to understand healthcare processes. Additionally, unclear appointment procedures and concerns about costs often lead them to delay necessary care, causing minor health issues to worsen into serious conditions requiring emergency intervention.

Solution

We redesigned the healthcare journey across three platforms: Anthem's Sydney app, SCAD's student app, and orientation materials. We added multilingual support (14 languages), AI-guided symptom triage, upfront cost estimation, and peer-driven Language Buddy system. We prototyped everything in Figma through 3 rounds of testing with students, validating every interaction before final implementation.

Healthcare Community

9:41

Home

Appointment

Care

Benefits

Account

ID Cards

WELCOME

EN

Abe Hou

My Benefits

Need Action

0% Complete

View All

Know where to go for care

Choose your primary care physician

Understand your benefits

EN

ZH

ES

DE

AR

Artifacts Glimpse

We made around 13 service design artifacts for this projects and each one of those taught us a lot, helped us uncover, understand and take steps at each stages.

CONTEXT

01

During spring 2025, I collaborated with 5 designers for a service design project. All of us being international students could resonate with the topic of healthcare—we could all relate to the fact that the healthcare system for international students in the U.S. seemed broken. SCAD, being our immediate resource for audience, became our primary research focus.

My Role & Responsibilities

Role : Service Designer

Ecosystem Mapping

Led ecosystem mapping to identify pain points across ISSO, Sydney App, healthcare providers, and peer networks.

Service Design & Blueprinting

Created current-state and future-state service blueprints and stakeholder ecosystem diagrams.

Design & Prototyping

Designed mobile screens for Sydney app redesign and SCAD Healthcare Community feature.

A few things to know before we kickoff

1. International Student Population
i. 1.1M+ students in U.S.

2. What Is Anthem?
i. Large U.S. health insurance company
ii. Provides mandatory Student Advantage plan for F-1 visa students

3. What Is Sydney Health App?
i. Anthem's mobile app for healthcare navigation
ii. Supposed to help students find doctors, check costs, book appointments
iii. Reality: Only 16% adoption
iv. Problems: Complex UX, slow, English-only, broken chatbot

4. What Is ISSO?
i. SCAD's International Student Services Office
ii. Supports international students

PROBLEM

02

International students find it difficult to navigate the U.S. healthcare system. Information is fragmented across multiple platforms, communication barriers exist due to language and medical terminology, and students delay care due to cost confusion—leading to minor health issues escalating into emergencies.

USERS & ROLES

03

Persona 01

The Overwhelmed Newcomer

The "First-Timer" who needs hand-holding through every step.

A smiling woman gives the peace sign.
Role

First-year Graduate Student

Fictional Name

Mei Zhang (Origin: China)

Bio

Mei just arrived at SCAD for her MFA in Graphic Design. She's never used health insurance before and finds the U.S. system completely foreign. Back home in China, she would just walk into a clinic, see a doctor, and pay directly—no insurance, no paperwork.

Core Responsibilities
  • Maintain F-1 visa status and academic excellence.
  • Adapt to new culture while managing limited budget.
  • Navigate unfamiliar systems independently.
Pain Points (The “Why”)
  • Language Barrier: "I don't understand what 'deductible' or 'copay' means, even after orientation"
  • Fear of Mistakes: "I'm afraid to go to the doctor because I don't know how much I'll have to pay"
  • Tool Confusion: "The Sydney app is in English only and uses terms I've never heard"
Goals
  • Understand how to use her insurance without making costly mistakes.
  • Get medical help when sick without unexpected bills.
  • Find support in her native language to navigate the system.

RESEARCH

04

Diagnosing the friction

We employed seven research methods: surveys with 57 students, 12 deep interviews, secondary research from 16+ academic sources, co-creation workshops with 8 stakeholders, field observations, competitive benchmarking against ISI and IMG, and three rounds of usability testing with 21 participants.

Research overview

Research methods & findings

Seven complementary methods building a layered understanding of international student healthcare journeys.

Methods7 approaches
Participants100+ touchpoints

Surveys

57 international students, Google Forms, focused on insurance, costs, and access.

Sample size57 students
Insurance confusing80%
Visited US care63.2%
Skip visits (cost)55%
Insurance understanding
  • 57% unclear how to use insurance to access care.
  • 78% perceive U.S. healthcare as very expensive.
  • Most rate insurance clarity 2–3/5 (hard to understand).
Healthcare utilization
  • 36.8% have never sought care in the U.S.
  • 20% delay or skip care due to unfamiliarity with the system.
Information sources
  • 60% go to Google first (not the Sydney app).
  • 50% ask friends before professionals.
  • Only 16% use Sydney, 9% use ISSO or official channels.
Cost and language
  • 41% received unexpected medical bills; 68% could not understand them.
  • 60% would make different care decisions with better cost transparency.
  • Only 9.7% of non‑native English speakers feel confident in medical visits.

Jobs to be done

Key user outcomes across the end-to-end healthcare journey.

Job #1

Get quick, accurate medical guidance when symptoms appear

Job #2

Understand and manage healthcare costs

Job #3

Book appointments efficiently without hassle

Job #4

Feel confident and supported throughout journey

Feedback Loop

Going through the feedback flow of the ecosystem felt like looking at a city where all the bridges are one‑way. Governance, Anthem, and ISSO keep pushing information out, but almost nothing is structurally designed to flow back from students, so issues only surface when something goes very wrong, that’s when I realized our solution had to strengthen feedback, not just add more touchpoints.

Three Fold Typology Map

As we layered emotions onto the journey, the pattern felt uncomfortably familiar, calm at the start, panic in the middle, exhaustion at the end. It mirrored the stories I heard in interviews, students were okay until something hurts, then suddenly juggling portals, acronyms, and phone trees. Mapping those spikes made our goal painfully clear, flatten the panic and move more of the journey into the “I know what to do next” zone.

Current State Service Blueprint

When I mapped the current service blueprint, what hit me was how much work the student is doing to glue the system together. Every hand‑off, Sydney to ISSO, ISSO to campus clinic, clinic to insurer, relies on the student to carry information, repeat their story, and chase answers, which means the “service” is really a chain of silos with the student acting as the only integration layer.

OPPORTUNITIES

05

Future State Ecosystem Map

On the future‑state ecosystem map, what changed for me was who is allowed to move first. Instead of students having to hunt separately for ISSO, Sydney, peers, and providers, the map shows Sydney, ISSO, and the Healthcare Facilitator actively pushing help outward—triage, education, and peer support are now coordinated instead of accidental.​

The big shift is that students stop being the “connector node” and become the center of a loop where information, translation, and accountability circulate without them having to chase each piece.

Value Pilllars

We decided to map our solution across three interconnected value pillars to ensure international students receive comprehensive support, not just in understanding their coverage, but in accessing care and communicating effectively throughout their healthcare journey.

  • C & T + A & N (Yellow): Simplified Navigation & UX, Guided Workflow

  • C & T + EC (Orange): AI-powered Chatbot for Queries, Hotline, Cost Estimation Clarity

  • A & N + EC (Red-Orange): Additional support features

ERRAC Framework

This ERRAC chart helped us see where Sydney actually deserves to be bold, and where it needs to get out of the way.​

Across navigation, cost tools, appointments, and crisis support, Sydney’s line consistently sits above ISI and IMG, so I framed those as our “RAISE and CREATE” zones, places to double down with triage, pricing clarity, and live help. The dips at multilingual support and emergency protocol told me exactly where students stop trusting the app, which is why those two categories became non‑negotiable redesign targets.

WHAT ARE STUDENTS LOOKING FOR?

WHERE TO GO / HOW TO START

What type of care facility should I use?

Current sources: Google, Friends ❌

Opportunity: Sydney App triage feature ✓

COST & INSURANCE COVERAGE

What's covered? What are out-of-pocket costs?

Current sources: Guessing, avoiding care ❌

Opportunity: Upfront cost estimation ✓

APPOINTMENTS & CHECK-IN

How do I schedule or check in for care?

Current sources: Phone calls (30+ min), giving up ❌

Opportunity: One-tap booking ✓

MEDICATION ACCESS

Who prescribes? How do I get it?

Current sources: Pharmacists, Google ❌

Opportunity: Prescription tracker in app ✓

LANGUAGE SUPPORT

How do I get help if I don't speak English?

Current sources: Bring friends, avoid care ❌

Opportunity: Language Buddy system ✓

EMERGENCY PROTOCOL

When do I call 911? What do I say?

Current sources: Panic, unclear ❌

Opportunity: Emergency guidance in app ✓

SOLUTION

06

We didn't jump straight to pixels. We followed a rigorous prototyping phase to ensure every interaction was validated before final visual polishing.

Solution

We translated our wireframes into high-fidelity designs that directly addressed the initial problems identified in research. We designed over 150+ screens across two platforms—Sydney app redesign and SCAD Healthcare Community ensuring every interaction supported students through their healthcare journey.

Anthem's Sydney App Redesign

Multilingual App

This phase focuses on solving one of the major barriers of the communication issues. Many international students find it hard to understand english terminologies resulting in confusions and errors. By making the app multilingual we plan on eliminating those errors and helping students navigate the app comfortably!

Multilingual App

SCAD HEALTHCARE COMMUNITY

The Healthcare Community is a new section inside the SCAD student app, giving students easy access to peer support. From here, they can ask questions, get help with insurance, and navigate care confidently, all in one place.

Students can request help in their preferred language by booking a peer Language Buddy. The buddy can assist with booking appointments, explaining insurance, or providing live interpretation during doctor visits.

IMPACT

07

Predicted Impact Snapshot

Key outcomes if the solution is fully implemented.

Operational Efficiency

Time saved and fewer repetitive tasks.

40% faster healthcare tasks

Automation removes manual steps for staff and students.

40%

50% fewer ISSO inquiries

Embedded answers reduce repeat questions.

-50%

30+ minutes saved per booking

Tap-to-book replaces multi-step phone and email flows.

30+ min

Student Health Outcomes

Earlier, preventative, and right-fit care.

45% drop in delayed care

From 55% to 10% over 3 years.

-45%

60% more preventative visits

Nudges and clarity drive early check-ins.

+60%

Earlier intervention

Issues addressed before they become crises.

Upstream

Cost Savings

Lower spend for students and partners.

$200 annual savings per student

Optimized care paths avoid unnecessary costs.

$200

50% fewer inappropriate ER visits

Guidance reduces preventable ER spend.

-50%

Lower call center volume

Self-service journeys reduce tickets.

↓ volume

User Experience

Delightful, multilingual digital journeys.

92% would use Language Buddy

Peer guides close cultural and language gaps.

92%

85% prefer app-based booking

Mobile flows match how students live.

85%

Satisfaction 2.5 → 4.5 / 5

Clearer journeys rebuild trust in care.

+2 pts

14-language support

Multilingual content increases access.

14

Institutional Benefits

Strategic gains for SCAD and Anthem.

Retention: 88% → 92%

Better health and support keep students enrolled.

+4 pts

Stronger SCAD–Anthem partnership

Shared outcomes and data deepen trust.

Joint

Scalable to 1.1M+ intl. students

A playbook ready for other campuses.

1.1M+

Recruitment advantage

Differentiated health offer in marketing.

Edge

Brand lift and trust

Visible care for international students.

Brand

LEARNINGS

08

Navigating Complex Healthcare Ecosystems
I learned how to map and understand multi-stakeholder healthcare systems, insurance providers, university health services, medical providers, and patients all operating with different priorities. This taught me how to identify leverage points where small changes create ripple effects across the entire ecosystem.

Designing for Vulnerable Moments
Healthcare isn't transactional, people interact with it when they're sick, scared, and vulnerable. I learned to design for high-stress, low-literacy moments where clarity and reassurance matter more than efficiency. This changed how I think about information hierarchy and emotional touchpoints.

Understanding Healthcare Operations and Constraints
Learning about EHS systems, HIPAA compliance, insurance claims processing, and backend workflows taught me that patient experience is only half the equation. I learned to design solutions that work within regulatory constraints and operational realities, not just idealistic fixes that can't be implemented.

Thinking in Systems, Not Just Screens
This project taught me that healthcare service design means understanding how front-stage, back-stage, and support systems interact. I learned to trace problems to their root causes in invisible processes like how a broken insurance verification step creates anxiety for students weeks later.

Leading Through Ambiguity in Sensitive Spaces
Healthcare research requires careful facilitation people don't easily share medical stories. I learned how to build trust quickly, ask sensitive questions ethically, and synthesize emotionally heavy research into actionable insights without losing the human context.

Challenge

Challenge

International students face challenges navigating the U.S. healthcare system, including information gaps and communication barriers. Many struggle with medical terminology, and non-native English speakers find it difficult to understand healthcare processes.


Additionally, unclear appointment procedures and concerns about costs often lead them to delay necessary care, causing minor health issues to worsen into serious conditions requiring emergency intervention.

Action

Action

We redesigned the healthcare journey across three platforms: Anthem's Sydney app, SCAD's student app, and orientation materials.

Healthcare Community

9:41

Home

Appointment

Care

Benefits

Account

ID Cards

WELCOME

EN

Abe Hou

My Benefits

Need Action

0% Complete

View All

Know where to go for care

Choose your primary care physician

Understand your benefits

EN

ZH

ES

DE

AR

Result

Result

We added multilingual support (14 languages), AI-guided symptom triage, upfront cost estimation, and peer-driven Language Buddy system. We prototyped everything in Figma through 3 rounds of testing with students, validating every interaction before final implementation.

Available For Work

If you’ve made it this far, we’re either meant to work together, or you’re just really into footers!

Book a Free Call

omkarux7@gmail.com

www.omkartalwalkar.com

+1 (912) 441 - 4629

Available For Work

If you’ve made it this far, we’re either meant to work together, or you’re just really into footers!

Book a Free Call

omkarux7@gmail.com

www.omkartalwalkar.com

+1 (912) 441 - 4629

Available For Work

If you’ve made it this far, we’re either meant to work together, or you’re just really into footers!

Book a Free Call

omkarux7@gmail.com

www.omkartalwalkar.com

+1 (912) 441 - 4629