Telehealth Connection Recovery
Design recovery states that keep a patient and clinician coordinated when a video visit loses audio, video, or network access.
The brief
Understand the problem
Background
A dropped telehealth visit is more than a technical error. Both people need to know whether the session is still active, which communication fallback is permitted, and how clinical notes or billing are affected.
User context
Isaac is discussing a medication side effect when his home connection becomes unstable. He can receive a phone call but cannot safely repeat his health details in a public chat.
Product problem
The product must recover continuity without creating duplicate sessions, exposing sensitive information, or leaving either participant waiting indefinitely.
Objective
Design connection diagnosis, fallback choice, reconnection, and visit resolution for an interrupted telehealth appointment.
What to design
Define the experience
Required experience
- Recognize which connection component failed
- Choose an approved private fallback
- Rejoin the same visit with preserved context
- Confirm whether the appointment completed or needs follow-up
Screens and states
- Connection interruption
- Fallback options
- Rejoining state
- Visit resolution
Core user flow
Follow the critical path
- 01
Isaac's video freezes while audio remains available
- 02
The interface offers audio-only continuation or a verified callback
- 03
He chooses callback and confirms the masked phone number
- 04
After the call, the portal records completion and next steps
Product rules
Requirements and constraints
Requirements
- Test audio, video, and network separately
- Keep both participants informed of the other's recovery state
- Offer only clinic-approved fallbacks with privacy context
- Preserve one visit record across reconnects and fallbacks
Constraints
- Clinical chat cannot become the default for urgent symptoms
- Phone numbers must be verified before callback
- Automatic recording is prohibited
Reality check
States worth considering
Finish line
What to deliver
- Four responsive recovery screens with behavior notes for patient and clinician
Optional direction
Visual resources
Use these as a starting constraint if you want one. They are not part of the required solution.
Theory to review
UX principles for this brief
Use these as decision lenses, then validate the design with the people and context in the brief.
