Home > Featured Work > Case Study: Healthcare Customer Service
Envision and design a seamless customer service experience
This project for a major US healthcare insurance provider aimed reinvision and design their customer service experience for both customers and internal Customer Advocates. Our UX research revealed opportunities to simplify complex navigation and inefficient task flows, and overall usability.
Our response to the client's initial Request for Proposal was comprehensive and robust, and led to continued engagement, and evolution of our initial approach. My contributions of scoping DesignOps and the creation of mid-fidelity screen designs to illustrate our expertise in the domain and vision of what we could do immediately to help achieve immediate business needs.
Summary
Client
"A major healthcare insurance provider"
Objective
Enhance BAM 2.0 CSR application to user experience and operational efficiency
The Team
Lead UX Strategist & Designer (me), Subject Matter Expert, Healthcare Sector Program Manager, and Engagement Manager
My Role
Responsible for end-to-end UX/UI Workstream Strategy and Design (PowerPoints through Figma prototypes)
SITUATION
Agents struggle with accuracy and speed
Our client identified significant usability challenges with their current CSR application. Customers and CA's struggled to find the right answer at the right time. CA's faced a complex interface, inefficient workflows, and a system that was not in line with modern UX standards.
Challenges
Users were overwhelmed by the amount of information and steps required for tasks.
Navigation through the application was difficult, with users often getting lost in complex menus.
Users expected more intuitive interactions, quicker task completions, and a modern aesthetic.
APPROACH
Our Focus
Enhanced User Interface and Experience
The project significantly improved the user interface (UI) and user experience (UX), leading to a more intuitive and accessible platform. This was achieved by simplifying navigation, reducing manual entry requirements, and implementing automated processes.
Streamlined Processes and Efficiency
The redesign focused on minimizing the number of clicks and manual entries needed to complete tasks. This streamlining led to increased efficiency, particularly for tasks like password resets, member searches, and account management.
User-Centric Design and Accessibility
The design approach adhered to guidelines like Google Material Design and iOS Human Interaction Guidelines, ensuring a user-centric approach. Special attention was given to making the platform 508 compliant, catering to users with usability challenges.
Integration and Functionality Improvements
The project included developing new functionalities like member emulation, comprehensive activity logs, and an interactive dashboard for customer advocates. These features provided better tracking of user interactions and facilitated more effective customer support.
Design Process
To help scope our proposal, and with the goal of presenting an "illustrated" perspective to the client, I designed and prototyped a mid-fidelity, very scoped, interactive prototype. The goal is to crystallize our vision as clearly as possible to ensure the client understood our process, deliverables, and intimate and comprehensive knowledge of the healthcare industry and the people it serves.
Initial Concept —> Production Product
This project started as a fast response to an RFP. This response included a mid-fidelity, rapid prototype which the client felt met the needs of the project, approved, and acted as our baseline from which to grow and improve upon that initial concept and approach.
User needs and feedback integration
Designs began with insights contributed by SME interviews and research. This included understanding the tasks users performed most frequently and the pain points they encountered.
Envisioned future state through the users' lenses
Based on feedback from our SME group I worked with a seasoned healthcare SME to craft proto-personas, journeys and process diagrams; these artifacts helped to understand the complexities of the journey from question to solution.
UX Design Principles
The right information at the right time
Our approach ensured that data sources were aggregated into intuitive UI which surfaced user data, instructions and scripts, and easy-to-use features. My suggested UX approach resulted in a reduction in time-to-goal and increase in CSAT.
Accessibility, Inclusivity and Security
Considered and adhered strictly to accessibility standards to ensure the application was usable for all users, including those with disabilities.
Handling PII, PHI, and other restricted data required specific consideration in design.
Design Process
Cross-functional collaboration
Worked with stakeholders and internal UX experts to collect, analyze, understand, and use our available data to craft focus, priorities, effort, and a strategic roadmap for our forthcoming business and design efforts.
Sketch, design libraries and systems
Moving directly into Sketch, I leveraged a component/design library I had created for use throughout the CXT group at TCS to act as a kickstarter for various projects. This pre-existing framework enabled quick exploration and ideation, leading to our strategy.
Preliminary testing indicates achieving intended business and engagement goals
Through the UX/UI enhancements and design recommendations for the BAM 2.0 platform, significant improvements were made in user experience and operational efficiency, notably reducing manual task completion times and streamlining interactions for Customer Advocates and members. Automation, security enhancements, and a focus on accessibility ensured the platform became more secure, compliant with 508 and WCAG tstandards, and inclusive for all users.
RFP Response Embraced
The response to the RFP was accepted and the original UX/UI design was embraced as the foundation of further design iteration and evolution.
Increased User Satisfaction
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User satisfaction scores rose by an estimated 25%, indicating a successful overhaul of the user experience.
Error Reduction
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We measured an estimated 30% decrease in user errors, reflecting a more intuitive user interface, more accurate data, and better navigation to goal-complete.
From RFP through design delivery, the project provided valuable insights
The design and rapid prototyping phase was instrumental in visualizing and testing the user interface of the BAM 2.0 CSR Application. By integrating user feedback and iterating rapidly, we ensured that the final design was both user-friendly and aligned with the client’s goals. This phase not only enhanced the application's usability but also streamlined the development process by reducing the need for major changes during the development phases.
What we learned
Starting from our initial response to a Request for Proposal from the client, our project provided challenges and opportunities for growth, learning, and developing future-thinking strategy.
Data-Driven Decisions
Leveraging analytics and user feedback for continuous improvement ensures that the application evolves with user needs.
Stakeholder Collaboration
Regular interaction with stakeholders ensures that the redesign aligns with both user expectations and business goals.
User Research is Key
In-depth user research and persona development are crucial for identifying the core issues and designing effective solutions. Our SMEs have invaluable knowledge and experience, but nothing gives a clearer understanding of the nuances found when talking to real-life users and customers.
Importance of Usability Testing
Prototyping and usability testing are instrumental in refining UI/UX designs before full-scale implementation.
Research and Strategy
Understanding our various customers: b2c, b2b, internal agents
Research and Strategy
Process flows
User Journey Diagrams played a crucial role in the Blue Cross Blue Shield (BCBS) UX Design project for BAM 2.0 by helping to identify and address various user-related issues. These diagrams, which map out the step-by-step journey a user takes to achieve a goal, are essential in understanding user behavior, preferences, and pain points. In this project, they were particularly beneficial in the following ways:
Customer Journeys
Conducted surveys and in-depth interviews with a diverse group of users, including Customer Advocates (CAs), subscribers, and dependents, to gather insights into their experiences, challenges, and needs.
Persona Creation
Developed detailed user personas to represent the various user segments of the application. These personas helped in understanding different user requirements, pain points, and how they interact with the application.
Research and Strategy
Collaborative Communication
Stakeholder Engagement
Engaged with key stakeholders within BCBS to understand their perspectives on application performance and user satisfaction. Ran HCD workshops and contextual interviews, gathered requirements and worked alongside business and development to craft achievable strategy.
Cross-Departmental Collaboration
Collaborated with different departments, such as IT support and customer service, to gain insights into the user issues they were encountering. Worked directly with internal design teams to bring ideas to market.
