The brief
Three linked clinics in Nairobi were using one system for bookings, another for patient notes, and WhatsApp for reminders. No-shows were running too high, and front desk was re-keying the same information three times.
What we shipped
- A single scheduling surface for front desk, with rooms, clinicians, and visit types.
- SMS and WhatsApp reminders at 24h and 2h before an appointment, with a one-tap reschedule link.
- Patient notes linked to appointments, with role-based access for clinicians and admins.
- Reporting: utilisation, no-show rate, and clinician load by day of week.
How we worked
Six weeks. Week one was a half-day shadow at the busiest of the three clinics — we sat behind the front desk and watched. What we shipped was shaped by that morning more than by the original brief.
Outcome
No-show rate dropped by ~38% in the first three months. Front desk stopped re-keying. Clinicians opened the app during a visit and closed it again — we didn't ask them to love it, we asked it to stay out of their way. That one passed.
What we'd do differently
We would build the clinician view on an iPad first, not a laptop. Most of them are standing.