Shortly after launching our B2B2C product at imaware, we began having an increase in patient collection issues while using their at home blood test. Our clients had launched a fairly large blood panel that was to be collected at home using finger-stick methodologies. imaware already had much success in patients completing this process on their own at home with a varying lineup of tests from a simple Celiac Disease Screening test to a complete Health and Wellness test with over 10 biomarkers.
The Situation
The new at home blood collection kits were struggling with patient’s being unable to collect a large enough sample. Collecting a finger-stick blood sample while easy to accomplish by most can be challenging even for veteran product users without the appropriate methodologies.
imaware’s current method for instructing patients on how to collect their blood sample at home included an “easy” 3 step process and an instructional video which walked you through an overview first and then a more in-depth walkthrough of each action.
A video walked patients through how to collect their at-home blood sample alongside simple instructions on screen
My Role
As the Head of Operations at imaware, I played a very cross-functional role in working across teams to drive strategic initiatives to completion. With my experience in previous projects at imaware and having taken over 20 imaware at home tests, I was tasked with leading a project to quickly and efficiently improve the outcomes of our clients test takers. Some steps I took in determining major friction points included
Offering video consultations with an imaware Nurse who could help patients walkthrough their test from start to finish
This gave our product team incredibly valuable information about where patients we’re struggling without having to make any sudden changes to our digital instructions
Conducting research into the successful methodologies for at-home blood collection, including reading scientific journals, meeting with our medical + scientific advisors, and using post-test surveys to determine where patients were struggling.
Analyzing the physical test kit components with the Supply Chain Manager to determine if there were any additional components that could be included and deep diving into printed instructions inside the box.
The Outcome
Using the newfound knowledge from the nurses, advisors, and extraordinary amount of feedback, the team of designers, product managers, logistics managers, and customer support agents made an action plan which included revamping the collection instructions page. By providing the design team with an in-depth document on appropriate collection procedures, they were able to convert that into a comprehensive and easy to follow, step-by-step guide.
The team also worked closely with the marketing department to create an email series which helped to prepare patients before even opening their test. The instructions included small snippets of text that were intended to provide only the most relevant information as to not overwhelm the patient. We also set the expectation that patients should expect to spend more time (about 30 minutes) taking their test so they don’t feel rushed through the process.
