Experience navigation
MD Anderson Cancer Center
Problems
Perceived problem
- Safety + security of patients + caregivers is the biggest problem that they experience when in the hospital.
Reframed problems
- MD Anderson has a premium position as #1 provider of clinical cancer care. However, we’ve heard from our patients + caregivers that we’re failing in providing positive experiences prior to + after meeting their clinical teams.
- New + returning patients feel that they lack the information necessary to clearly anticipate + effectively manage key moments in their care experience.
Challenges
- How do we re-imagine the way that MD Anderson increases care quality beyond clinical + across patients’ end-to-end care experiences?
- How might we provide patients opportunities for empowerment at key moments?
- How might we increase patients’ care quality + the number of patients receiving all their care at MD Anderson?
.
Solution
- Connected comprehensive digital tools designed to inform, empower, + provide direction to patients throughout the key moments identified.
Results
This initiative instigated, informed and supported 9 initiatives including:
- Launched a Wayfinding app used by 80% of visitors, with 60% reporting an improved navigation experience
- Introduced a Patient Access Navigation app, adopted by 56% of patients in the first month and earning a 4.7/5 satisfaction score
- Deployed an International Patients app, contributing to a 20% increase in conversion rates
Focus on patients’ needs
across their end-to-end
experience
To solve the problems that matter most + ensure long-term impact, we:
- Conducted qualitative research with patients, caregivers, patient-facing employees + stakeholders to uncover insights.
- Facilitated workshops to generate as many ideas as possible to co-solve problems.
- Developed patients’ + caregivers’ archetypes.
- Co-mapped patients’ + caregivers’ current + future experience maps to visualize their experiences + uncover short/long-term opportunities
Signals of change
To anticipate change we:
- Scanned key signals of change in health + beyond to understand the drivers of change affecting the patients’ + caregivers’ experiences.
- Mapped current MDA initiatives to map current ‘knowledge banks’ across silos.
- Created a framework for designing with stress in mind, as we learned that cancer patients’ + caregivers’ stress levels impact everything.
- Examined the history of welcome experiences to be aware of cyclical themes.
1. Patient access navigator
Provides new patients with real-time visibility into the progress + status of their referral from anywhere + at any time.
One clear data view
The Patient Access Tracker is designed to give patients a quick-glance into their referral status in the moment including a check-in on the status of their first appointment, their timeline, + goals for referral completion, + outstanding action items including insurance approvals + medical records. Prior, this information was a ‘black box’.
Actionable information
in real-time
Empowering patients through complete transparency into what’s been done, by what date they can expect completion of open actions, + what they can personally do to move their referral review to get an earlier doctor’s visit.
2. Visit preparation
navigator
Engaging + guiding patients through a pre-visit checklist of logistical details, reminders, + important action items + recommendations including:
- Researching care team members
- Making travel plans + arrangements
- Trying to settle at-home business
- Coordinating appointment-day logistics
3. Personalized
preparation tools
- Easing anxiety through enabling patients to make the most of their time before + during clinical appointments.
- In the waiting room, greater visibility into wait times puts control regarding use of time into the hands of patients.
- In the exam room, help prepare discussion topics + questions to help patients maximize the time with their clinical team.
4. Anticipation + preparation
navigator
Providing full visibility into discharge planning, milestones, task assignments, + real-time progression through the discharge +/or departure process, including parking-related elements.
Taking the guesswork
out of departure
Departure dashboard centered around milestones, patients get up-to-date information around discharge planning, progress status updates, + just-in-time departure support.
By the numbers:
80% of visitors used the Wayfinding app, with 60% reporting improved navigation experience.
56% of patients adopted the Patient Access Navigation app in the first month, with a 4.7/5 satisfaction score.
20% increase in international patient conversion rate following launch of the dedicated app.
