How would you use Facebook to create a doctor referral program?

Introduction

Creating a doctor referral program using Facebook presents an exciting opportunity to leverage social media's reach and connectivity for healthcare. This challenge involves designing a system that connects patients with appropriate doctors, utilizing Facebook's vast user base and features. I'll approach this by first clarifying our objectives, then analyzing user segments and pain points, before proposing and evaluating potential solutions.

Step 1

Clarifying Questions (3 minutes)

• Based on the problem description, I'm thinking this might be a new initiative rather than an extension of an existing product. Is that correct?

Why it matters: Helps determine if we're working within established constraints or have more flexibility. Expected answer: Yes, it's a new initiative. Impact on approach: We'd have more freedom to innovate but would need to consider integration with existing Facebook features.

• Are we focusing on a specific geographic region or is this intended to be a global solution?

Why it matters: Affects how we approach regulatory compliance and localization. Expected answer: Initially targeting the US market. Impact on approach: We'd need to consider HIPAA compliance and US healthcare system specifics.

• Do we have any data on user demand for this type of service on Facebook?

Why it matters: Helps validate the need and potential adoption rate. Expected answer: Some preliminary surveys show interest, but no concrete data. Impact on approach: We'd need to incorporate user research into our early development stages.

Propose the Goal

Given Facebook's focus on connecting people and communities, I believe the goal is to create a trusted, user-friendly system that helps patients find and connect with appropriate doctors, leveraging Facebook's social graph and engagement features. Does this align with your vision?

Define the Scope

For this product design challenge, should we focus on primary care physician referrals to start, or include specialists as well?

Based on your answers, I'll assume we're creating a new, US-focused doctor referral system on Facebook, starting with primary care physicians, with the potential to expand to specialists later.