The Digitalisation Department gathered users over 65 in a citizen lab to simplify the app. The goal: to eliminate superfluous icons and prioritise appointments and medication.
A group of Madrid residents aged over 65 met face to face this Friday with the Digitalisation councillor and the developers of the Virtual Health Card at the Citizen Lab of the Digital Innovation Centre, Digitaliza Madrid. Their mission: to adapt the public application to the real needs of a population that often feels overwhelmed by technology.
One participant, Adrián Benavides, a Madrid native of Argentine origin, confessed that he accepted the invitation because "I like to be useful." His goal was clear: to make the application "more user-friendly."
A technology that is not used is useless
The Digitalisation councillor, Miguel López-Valverde Argüeso, defended the need to listen directly to those who use the health system the most. "A technology that is not used is useless," he explained. The seniors provided a crucial perspective on visual design: "When you see many things in one place, on a small screen, it can overwhelm you," the councillor acknowledged. The commitment is to eliminate the excess of "icons and little buttons" to keep the essentials visible: appointments and medication.
The initiative not only aims to simplify but also to give a voice to users so that the app meets their daily needs. Participants did not just give their opinions; they also tested prototypes and suggested changes in real time.
Unified medical record and automatic notifications
The meeting also served to announce significant advances in the Madrid Health Service (Sermas). The most notable is the implementation of the Unified Medical Record before the end of the year. "By the end of the year, we expect to have it. It is already being implemented in the first hospital," the councillor revealed. This unification will allow patients to carry their records in their pockets: "If people travel on holiday or abroad, they can take it with them much more easily, whether they are in Benidorm, Paris, or London."
Additionally, in October, an automatic notification system will be introduced to prevent chronic patients from running out of treatment due to expiry forgetfulness. "Alerts will be sent several days in advance to renew prescriptions," the administration explained. That same month, the app will notify when a special medication gets the green light from medical inspection: "It will be a 'Hey, you have the approval and can go pick it up.'"
However, the lab was not just a space for congratulations. Users took the opportunity to convey the deficiencies they experience daily, especially the system blocking when a primary care doctor is on leave. One attending user criticised the current error message of the app: "It cannot say 'it is not possible to manage your appointment.' It needs to show a substitute saying: 'This person has an opening.'"
The same citizen recalled that, although "there has been progress" because they no longer carry folders of papers, the "closed schedules" when travelling outside the region need to be addressed.
Waiting lists also entered the debate
The waiting lists for in-person healthcare also entered the debate. Another user lamented the waiting times using irony: "My wife is given an appointment to fix her knee in January next year; she’s going to be limping or fall down the stairs." The patient resignedly admitted that this "depends on management, which is another story apart from the application."
The commitment of the Community of Madrid is to launch at least one new module per month through automatic updates. The challenge for the IT professionals now is to process the criticisms so that technology is an ally and not a barrier.
For the residents of the region, the change will be tangible: a simpler app, with fewer buttons and alerts reminding them to renew prescriptions or collect approved medications. Updates will automatically reach their mobiles starting in October.
You may also like
