Pathway
Allied Health Referral Booking & Loop Closure Platform
Next.jsHealthcareProductUX
Visit Live Site 41% of referred patients in allied health never book their appointment. The problem isn't sending the referral — most systems handle that. It's everything after. Patient leaves the clinic, means to call, doesn't, and the referral dies on a sticky note. Pathway is a prototype where the SMS goes out while the patient is still in the room — two taps to book on mobile, no app download, no account creation.
How It Works
- In-room SMS referral — practitioner sends the link while the patient is still there
- Two-tap mobile booking — no app download, no account creation
- Elderly patient fallback — 'Reply YES and we'll book for you' after a few days
- Automated loop closure — one-click post-visit summary flows back to the referring practitioner
- Four persona journeys — click through the entire flow from referral to loop closure
- Conversion model benchmarked against published studies
Technical Stack
Next.jsReactTypeScriptTailwind CSSVercel
The Process
Built as a product growth challenge exploring why allied health referrals fail after they're sent.
The Problem
- 41% of referred patients in allied health never book their appointment. The referral gets sent, the patient leaves the clinic, means to call, doesn't, and the referral dies on a sticky note.
- Somewhere between a third and half of referral loops never close. The referring practitioner sends someone off and just... never hears what happened.
The Solution
- SMS goes out while the patient is still in the room. The practitioner literally says 'I just sent you a link, let's make sure you got it.' Two taps to book on mobile. No app download, no account creation.
- For elderly patients who don't book after a few days: 'Reply YES and we'll book for you.' One word reply on any phone. Staff handles the rest.
- Loop closure happens automatically — a one-click post-visit summary flows back to the referring practitioner after the appointment.
The Prototype
- A live Next.js app with four personas, connected screens, real slot selection, and a conversion model benchmarked against published studies. You can click through the entire journey from referral to loop closure.
Challenges & Iterations
- Designing for the lowest-tech user — a 67-year-old who trusts her physio but won't navigate a new portal
- Balancing prototype fidelity with speed — real slot selection, connected screens, four personas
- Benchmarking conversion estimates against published referral completion studies
- Building loop closure into a workflow where a third to half of loops never close