Smart Search Enhancement
Transforming healthcare provider search with intelligent algorithms, contextual understanding, and category-based navigation that dramatically improves accuracy and user satisfaction.
Duration
6 Weeks
My Role
UX Designer
AI Integration
Kore.ai
Impact
2M+ Members
Project Overview
Revolutionizing how Florida Blue members find and connect with healthcare providers
At Florida Blue, the search function serves as the primary entry point for members navigating healthcare services—whether they're looking for a new primary care physician, seeking specialist care, or researching treatment costs. This critical touchpoint needed to evolve from a basic keyword search into an intelligent, contextual experience.
The Smart Search enhancement project focused on leveraging AI and machine learning to create a more intuitive, accurate, and efficient search experience that understands user intent and delivers highly relevant results.
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75%
Reduction in average search time
-
85%
Improvement in search accuracy
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60%
Increase in successful task completion
-
40%
Reduction in external search tool usage
The Problem
Members were abandoning our search tool in favor of external solutions like Google
Poor result accuracy: Relevant providers appeared near the bottom of results even with exact name matches
Information overload: Users had to scroll through lengthy medical procedure descriptions before finding providers
Narrow search interface: Search bar was too small, pushing options with long content outside the visible area
Competing visual hierarchy: Image buttons below search bar drew more attention than the search functionality itself
Lack of confidence: Members didn't trust the search results and frequently abandoned the tool
User Research Insight
Mary - Live Observation Participant
"I know exactly what doctor I'm looking for, but I can't find them in your search. I usually just go to Google instead because it's faster and more reliable."
Through live user observations, we discovered that even when users spelled provider names correctly, the relevant results often appeared at the bottom of the list after long, confusing medical descriptions. This created hesitation and confusion, leading many members to abandon our tool entirely.
Competitive Analysis & Research
Learning from leading healthcare platforms to identify best practices and opportunities
Oscar Health
Strengths
- Clean, easy-to-use search with clear tab navigation
- Straightforward categorization of providers and services
- Minimal visual clutter focuses attention on search
Challenges
- Tab navigation isn't screen reader friendly
- Unclear visual indication of selected tab
- Limited accessibility considerations
Kaiser Permanente
Strengths
- Clear display of providers and medical conditions
- Good information hierarchy
- Comprehensive provider details
Challenges
- Too many clicks required to reach information
- Overly complex navigation structure
- Slow user flow from search to action
UnitedHealthCare
Strengths
- Organized into four main, logical categories
- Consistent visual design patterns
- Clear information architecture
Challenges
- No free text input capability
- Forces users through multiple steps
- Less flexible for diverse search needs
Design Solutions
AI-powered search with intelligent categorization and contextual understanding
Before vs. After Comparison
Original Search Experience
- Narrowed search bar
- Competing visual elements
- Poor result ranking
- No intelligent filtering
As a result:
Members frequently abandoned search due to poor accuracy and confusing interface design.
Enhanced Search Experience
- AI-powered relevance
- Category-based filtering
- Contextual understanding
- Accessibility interface
As a result:
Intelligent search that understands intent and delivers highly relevant results with improved accessibility.
Key Screens
Desktop
Native Mobile
UI Pattern
Honorable Results
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75%
Reduction in average search time
-
85%
Improvement in search accuracy
-
60%
Increase in successful task completion
-
40%
Reduction in external search tool usage