ethnographic research, current & ideal state mapping, user need mapping, collateral design, workshop design
THE CHALLENGE
While our client had evolved one of their patient services over the years to become one of the industry’s largest and most impactful services, the pandemic required reactionary changes to the program over 3 years, internal initiatives modified the service and a shift in government regulations foreshadowed another few years of changes to the program.
Grounding in the core vision and purpose of the program, the client tasked us to lead them through the recommendation and implementation of service changes to ensure the program can remain sustainable well into the future as well as better serve the patients for which the program was intended.
THE APPROACH
A variety of research methods were employed to objectively investigate the current state of the service through each stakeholder’s perspective. First, on-site ethnographic research (observation, individual interviews) at service provider facilities uncovered frontline staff experiences and allowed researchers to not only map current backstage processes but pain points and barriers that prevented the service to be delivered as promised. Other exploratory research methods included customer telephone interviews and individual (internal) stakeholder interviews. Data was then collected into comprehensive service blueprints and focused process maps to be remapped in cross-functional workshops.
THE RESULTS
Thanks to the input from several different functional groups' input in workshops, the business rules, collateral and messaging were all reassessed and redesigned. Not only was patient eligibility for the service redefined, the program expanded to include a broader portfolio of products. The application and screening process was also combined with other congruous services to allow all applicants to be considered for a wider range of support services.
The client project continues with ongoing redesign & implementation efforts, aiming to reduce internal pain points (e.g., backlogs in annual application processing) and eliminate poor UX elements for a seamless, easy-to-access experience for customers (e.g., monthly pharmacist inquiries for bulk of patients they liaise on their behalf).
Next steps to include user testing with small group of customers (sample to cover all needs identified in initial ethnographic research).
Client Industry: Pharmaceuticals
Note: Identifying details of project have been removed for client privacy