In-Home Health ASsessment
Experience
Role
Design Researcher
Team
1 Experience Director
2 Product Managers
1 Design Lead
OUTPUTS
Observations
Contextual Inquiries
Surveys
3 Journey Maps
4 Personas
29 CXOs
4 Experience Principles
Innovation Sprint Workshop
Future Concepts
Ownership
Stakeholder Interview
Research Protocol Creation
Execution & Moderation
Data Analysis & Synthesis
Presentation & Shareout
Tools
Overview
*artifacts are intentionally blurred due to proprietary data
The Challenge
The client’s main offering was conducting in-home health visits as a benefit provided by partnered insurance companies, increasing access to care. However, the process of reaching out to covered members, scheduling them, introducing them to their providers, and following up with them is a fragmented journey with a lot of questions around what products can support this experience. Three product teams acted as stakeholders, asking: How can we better understand the member experience to build better tools?
The Approach
To capture a comprehensive understanding of the member experience, we would need to study each phase of their journey using exploratory and generative methods that would then inform foundational systems and artifacts.
The goal was to create an ethnographic model of the member journey that would provide design direction and guiding principles for product strategy.
The Outcomes
In 4 months, I conducted in-home and virtual observations, interviews, survey analyses, and participatory workshops. The design team and I then developed and socialized journey maps, personas, CXOs, and Experience Principles.
These artifacts were shared at a Leadership Summit, driving planning for the following year and broader horizon-scoping.
3
Months
54
Diverse Participants
9
Deliverables
Starting with the Stakeholders 👥
When scoping this project, there were 3 key product leaders identified that acted as stakeholders. They led the following workstreams:
Digital Communications
Scheduling Tools
Scheduling Excellence
In interviewing each of the leaders and synthesizing the findings by affinity mapping (pictured), I identified the following objectives:
Understand members holistically and individually to determine the level of personalization for conversion, scheduling, and communication
Develop a comprehensive view of the journey to identify upstream factors and downstream impact of building trust and conveying value
Identify the causes of member abrasion and cancellations
Determine actionable guidelines and metrics to direct design
Determining Touchpoints for Data Capture 🔭
Based on the defined objectives, I developed a roadmap to gather the evidence needed to address them. Given the broad scope, it was essential to explore the full member journey and leverage the available touchpoints within the member journey. Each touchpoint came with its own constraints, which shaped the research methodologies we could use.
Creating a Ride-Along Field Guide 🚧
One of the key touchpoints for in-person member interaction was through the client organization’s “Ride-Along” program, which allowed for direct observation during in-home visits. While typically used for operational purposes, this was the first time a UX research study would be conducted through Ride-Alongs. To support the effort, I created a comprehensive field guide that included a safety checklist, packing list, consent forms, observation templates, and discussion guides to ensure a smooth and consistent research process.
Proprietary Data
Filling in the Gaps: Scheduling & Virtual Calls ✍🏼
While the Ride-Alongs gave us the opportunity to interview participants about their overall experience beyond the in-home visit, I also wanted to capture first-hand insights into the scheduling and virtual visit processes. To do this, I shadowed scheduler phone calls and observed virtual visits conducted by providers. I then synthesized the observational data using descriptive analysis to uncover key patterns and insights.
Proprietary Data
Analyzing Surveys with AI Support 🕹️
The post-visit experience also had to be captured through a separate touchpoint. The only available source of data was a post-visit survey sent to members some time after their appointment—often following any related follow-up. Since it was an ongoing survey, I was able to pull existing responses and analyze them using Hey Marvin, the client’s research repository. While its AI features supported the analysis, all findings were cross-checked through manual review to ensure accuracy and depth.
Synthesizing the Journey Maps & Personas ✨
Drawing from insights gathered through Ride-Alongs, Virtual Visits, MEC call observations, and the Post-Visit Survey, I created an initial journey map, which was later refined in collaboration with the design team. The same data also informed the development of four personas, designed to highlight the diversity of member experiences and support more inclusive decision-making.
Proprietary Data
Developing CXOs and Experience Principles 🔦
The next step was to develop Customer Experience Objectives (CXOs) based on members’ goals, needs, and pain points throughout their journey. The CXOs were mapped to a specific phase of the journey to help guide solution development with clear priorities at every stage
The experience principles we developed serve as broad guidelines for designing each touchpoint. They were derived from the overarching themes uncovered during the discovery research.
Proprietary Data
Socializing Artifacts through Workshops 🤝
Finally, the last step was sharing the artifacts we developed. To do this, we hosted several workshops where key teams engaged with the materials and used them to brainstorm around “How Might We” (HMW) questions created by the product team.
Proprietary Data
Continuing to Support Product Strategy 🌅
We continued supporting the client during their Leadership Summit, where they planned for the coming year and their longer-term vision. Our team prepared presentations, workshop materials, and activities to facilitate the process. I also led a final Innovation Sprint with the product team to generate a portfolio of ideas inspired by the insights and artifacts we delivered, fueling future initiatives.
Proprietary Data
“Thank you again for taking on such ambiguous, challenging work, helping bring HCD and design strategy to life for those without prior experience, and delivering such useful assets to see us along our journey!”
~ Hammans, Client Contact
Final Thoughts
Working on this project was a great experience as a researcher because it gave me the chance to dig into complex problems that really matter. I wasn’t just collecting data; I was uncovering insights that could directly improve people’s lives. It was rewarding to see how thoughtful, evidence-based decisions could lead to better experiences for both patients and providers. Being part of a team that truly valued research and cared about getting it right made the work even more meaningful. That’s what made the work feel so worthwhile—and so human.