Created by teammate, used wth permission
The MyWoundHealing mobile app is designed to support patients undergoing negative pressure wound therapy, a therapy used to help promote healing in chronic or hard to heal wounds. Data shows that patients who use the app experience statistically significant improvements in their healing outcomes compared to those who do not while. Despite these benefits, app adoption is low, with only about 2.9% of the patient population engaging with it.
To address this issue, the business initiated a project to update the app, motivated by two primary goals: increasing patient adoption and improving internal business efficiencies. As a researcher, my initial focus was to determine whether the app adequately met patient needs. Additionally, the project aims to streamline internal processes associated with the app to enhance overall business efficiency.
To address patient needs and gaps in previous research, I began by synthesizing existing ethnographic studies and digital strategies.This included mapping patient journeys, reviewing current engagement strategies, app usage, available resources, and identifying knowledge gaps.
Building on this foundation, I designed and conducted an in-house ethnographic study. Collaborating with legal, regulatory, and healthcare compliance teams ensured that our research adhered to Medicare requirements for contracted vendors. We recruited eight patients (aged 37-82) through their healthcare provider for 90-minute in-home interviews. All patients had undergone or were currently prescribed negative pressure wound therapy. We conducted in-home interviews exploring their healthcare perceptions, treatment experiences, and reflections on their journey.
Ultimately, the research secured further business approval and funding to advance the project as a full product initiative. The research identified key patient needs across the care continuum, developed high-level archetypes based on wound care perspectives, and proposed a hypothesis for engaging specific patient types. We created four additional patient journey maps, highlighting themes, pain points, and opportunities at each step. With this deeper understanding of patient needs, we ideated solutions for the app and other critical touchpoints, as well as developing new service models for user testing with patients and healthcare providers.
