USING TECHNOLOGY TO DELIVER PERSONALIZED, TIMELY INFORMATION AND GATHER IMPORTANT FEEDBACK
Elevating patient and care partner experience in orthopedic surgical care
Sector: Healthcare
Project type: Design leadership, implementation
Collaborators: Emmetros team, Alicia Newell
Challenge
Today's healthcare system is evolving fast. Surgical teams are under pressure to do more with less, with growing patient numbers and limited resources. Patients also have higher expectations than ever for clarity and communication that extends beyond the clinic.
We partnered with a large, state-of-the-art orthopedic surgical center in the United States to address these challenges head-on. Our goal was to design and build a patient engagement platform that would elevate the patient experience.
Opportunity
Our pilot partner saw a clear opportunity: use technology to deliver personalized, timely information and gather important feedback from patients. They wanted to improve the patient experience and outcomes throughout their journey. This project was about more than just technology; it was a chance to reimagine how care teams support patients before and after surgery.
Key goals
Increase patient satisfaction, confidence, and preparedness for surgery.
Improve completion rates of patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs).
Reduce the administrative burden on clinics and their reliance on paper.
Deliver customizable, personalized education for each patient.
Provide clinics with robust data on patient engagement.
Approach
As the product and user experience design lead, I worked closely with stakeholders to define the vision and guide the project from start to finish.
Discovery & Definition: We began with a deep dive into the healthcare landscape, studying industry research and competitive solutions. We also observed clinic workflows and interviewed patients, caregivers, surgeons, and staff to understand their journeys, challenges, and needs. These insights were crucial for shaping our product vision and prioritizing key features.
Ideation & Design: We held a series of hands-on workshops and design sessions to tackle key themes like content management and administrative tools. Our design team translated these discussions into everything from concept diagrams to high-fidelity mockups. These deliverables helped align the team and allowed us to get early feedback on our ideas.
Implementation: As we neared launch, the project team collaborated closely to ensure a smooth and timely release. I also partnered with senior leaders at the pilot clinics to drive implementation. For example, I worked with clinic staff and a talented content strategist to review existing patient education, identify gaps, and map the content to specific points in the patient journey. This collaboration ensured patients received the right information at the right time.
The Outcome
The patient engagement platform, named CARE, quickly became a powerful tool for improving patient engagement and collecting PROMs. The platform increased survey completion rates by more than 20% and significantly boosted engagement with educational materials. The success of this platform led to its acquisition by a leading healthcare technology company specializing in surgical care..
