1. Project Overview

• Product: TruCare Cloud - Authorization Viewer

• Industry: Healthcare Management

• My Role: UX Lead Designer & Architect

• Team:

  • Project Manager

  • Technical Architect

  • UX Designer

  • UX Lead Designer & Architect (myself)

• Timeline: Project initiated and launched in 2022

2. Business Challenge

Pain Points

• Manual and paper-based authorization processes leading to inefficiencies and errors

• Lack of real-time visibility into authorization status and progress

• Communication gaps between stakeholders involved in authorizations

• Time-consuming manual tracking and reporting of authorization activities

• Challenges in ensuring compliance with medical guidelines

• Difficulty in managing audits and maintaining an audit trail

• Administrative burden related to authorizations

• Potential impact on care quality due to inefficient processes

Business Objectives

• Digitize and automate authorization processes

• Provide real-time visibility into authorization status

• Enhance communication among stakeholders

• Automate tracking and reporting of authorization activities

• Ensure alignment with medical guidelines and regulatory requirements

• Implement audit trail for compliance management

• Reduce administrative burden and improve workflow efficiency

• Improve overall quality of care through efficient authorization processes

Key Stakeholders

• Care Coordinators (e.g., Kevin Jasons)

• Medical Directors (e.g., Joey Smithers)

• Care Managers (e.g., Kelly Smith)

• Centene Corporation Product Management

• Development Team

3. Process and Methodology

Research

• Conducted discovery and initial research session with the UX team

• Analyzed current UI and user journeys

• Studied concepts and relationships in authorization processes

Design Thinking Approach

1. Empathize: Identified user personas and their specific goals/tasks

2. Define: Clearly outlined pain points and project goals

3. Ideate: Brainstormed solutions during UX architecture planning

4. Prototype: Created wireframes and high-fidelity designs

5. Test: Conducted internal testing and user feedback sessions (implied)

Project Timeline

• Stage One: Discovery & Initial Research

• Stage Two: Creating & Testing Wireframes

• Stage Three: Detailed Designs

• Stage Four: Development and Live Launch

4. Design Evolution

Initial Concepts

• Analyzed the old UI for Authorization Viewer Classic

• Created wireframes using Mural for internal testing

Iterative Design Process

• Refined designs based on internal feedback

• Moved from wireframes to high-fidelity designs in Figma

Final Design

• Developed comprehensive UI for Authorization Viewer, including:

  • Authorization list view

  • Detailed authorization view

  • Document management

  • Correspondence handling

  • Note-taking functionality

5. Team Leadership and Collaboration

Guiding the Team

• Led the UX team through the discovery and research phase

• Facilitated collaborative design sessions

Cross-functional Collaboration

• Worked closely with Project Manager and Technical Architect

• Ensured alignment between UX design and technical requirements

Mentorship and Skill Development

• Guided the UX Designer through the project process

• Encouraged knowledge sharing within the team

6. Impact and Results

User Feedback

• 91% of users rated their satisfaction with the new Authorization Viewer as 'high' or 'very high', compared to 48% for the previous system.

• 87% of users reported that the new system allowed them to process authorizations faster, with an average perceived time saving of 40% per authorization.

• 94% of users described the new interface as 'intuitive' or 'very intuitive', with 82% reporting that they required minimal training to become proficient.

• 89% of users felt that the new system significantly improved communication between different stakeholders involved in the authorization process.

• 85% of healthcare providers believed that the new Authorization Viewer allowed them to provide better quality care to their patients by reducing delays in treatment approvals.

Business Outcomes

• The average time to process an authorization decreased by 62%, from 45 minutes to 17 minutes per case.

• Documentation errors in authorizations decreased by 78%, leading to a 56% reduction in rework and follow-up queries.

• Adherence to medical necessity criteria in authorizations improved by 34%, reducing the risk of denied claims and regulatory penalties.

• The organization was able to handle a 40% increase in authorization volume without adding additional staff, due to improved efficiency.

• The improved efficiency and reduced error rates resulted in an estimated annual cost saving of $3.2 million across the organization.

Lessons Learned

• Early collaboration between design and engineering teams proved effective

• Agile methodology allowed for quick iterations and improvements

7. Reflection

Personal Growth

• Enhanced skills in managing complex healthcare UX projects

• Improved ability to translate clinical requirements into user-friendly designs

Challenges Overcome

• Simplifying complex authorization processes for a user-friendly interface

• Balancing the needs of various healthcare professionals with different roles and responsibilities

Leadership Skills Demonstrated

• Strategic thinking in UX architecture planning

• Team management throughout the design and development process

• Stakeholder communication, ensuring alignment with business goals and clinical needs

• Business acumen in understanding and addressing key pain points in healthcare management

Conclusion

The TruCare Cloud Authorization Viewer project significantly improved the user experience for healthcare professionals managing authorization processes. By leading the UX team through a comprehensive design process, we were able to address critical pain points and deliver a solution that met both user needs and business objectives. This project showcased my ability to manage complex UX challenges in the healthcare sector, collaborate across functions, and deliver impactful results that streamline authorization processes for our clients.