Kids Health Buddy: accessible healthcare info for kids

Going to hospital can be a difficult experience for kids. It can be unfamiliar, and there are a lot of new things to know and learn.

The Sydney Children’s Hospital Network have a wealth of healthcare information for kids, parents, and professionals, but their visitors found it difficult to find what they needed.

We created a personalised search engine and interactive 360 video platform for kids to make this healthcare information more accessible, and to let patients know what to expect when heading to the hospital.

A screenshot of the Kids Health Buddy landing page.

We were presented with

The Challenge

Creating a content management system to organise thousands of pieces of healthcare information into a curated format that both kids and parents could use.

That became

The Solution

An Interactive Narrative

At the top of each set of search results is an interactive 360 video. This video flows like a “choose your own adventure” book where kids let curiosity guide discovery, and explore the content in a natural way.

The video is captured in the first-person to give a kid’s perspective on what the waiting room might look like or what an MRI might sound like, reducing anxiety for first-time visitors.

A screenshot of the interactive 360 video, where viewers get to pick which team member they want to learn about next.

A screenshot of the natural language search form filled out by a kid.

Natural Search

Some websites ask you to fill out complex search forms, specifying a lot of up-front information.

We developed a dynamic search form to distil complex search queries into a few simple questions. It includes an intuitive format to present users with information specific to their needs.

This included a bespoke relevance algorithm that keeps results to a single page, and make sure visitors receive a healthcare “checklist”.

Converting Old To New

SCHN have over 1,000 factsheets available to download on their existing website. This content was important to carry across to the new site, but didn’t fit into the new search and tagging system.

We created a private API that SCHN’s IT team used to automatically add and upload their existing factsheets to the new platform, eliminating the need for any manual transfer and translation.