The Mayo Clinic App was envisioned to provide a simple stream of useful, current patient resources, enabling ready access to necessities during patient visits to Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. The updatable app would answer visitors’ basic questions and connect them to resources and services when they need them, enabling a more accommodating visit and reducing worry and wasted time. The Mayo Clinic App team enlisted the Mayo Clinic Center for Innovation (CFI) to support their understanding of the potential for the app and to map out possible paths to success. This process included visioning — what the real answer could be — and scoping — where to start and how to search for answers.
Led by Mayo Clinic Departments of Information Technology and Public Affairs, the Mayo Clinic App team found from interviews with Volunteer Services that the most frequent patient requests were for Social Services, International Services and Business Services. Information Desk personnel reported a broad range of queries including personal and clinical needs.