VA Contact Center

Business challenge

The lack of a unified internal patient management tool at Cleveland VA Medical Center left staff in a constant search for information, lengthening call times and creating bottlenecks. In fact, there was a department of just two people where almost all calls were funneled because they had the reputation as seasoned staff with a wealth of institutional knowledge. It was not sustainable. VA leadership invested in a unified relationship management product to streamline the process of serving Ohio Veterans. I worked with frontline staff to co-design the product from the ground up.

Design with, not for

As lead UX researcher and designer, my first task was to conduct a discovery sprint, talking to 60+ staff members in group interviews and shadowing sessions. On-site research was critical to make sure we delivered a useful product and the Product Owner relied on synthesis of on-site research to make prioritization decisions. Thanks to front-line staff joining me in mapping out the product requirements, we were able to build the right thing. Some examples of staff needs that on-site co-design uncovered include the following:

As a frontline worker, I want…

• a sensitive patient flag on a Veteran’s profile so I know if I am speaking to someone whose mental health is known to be at risk

• to enter and edit gender affirming information so the Veteran I am speaking with doesn’t have to repeat their gender identity and I can address them correctly.

• to filter initial patient profile results by date of birth so that if I find Veterans with the same name or Veterans in the same family, I can reliably find the right profile.

Outcomes

The Veteran Relationship Management tool launched in 2021, increasing speed of service and improving Veteran satisfaction. My role on this project fulfilled a federal mandate requiring user-centered design in new government technology investments, and I was excited to bring UX methods to this talented team.

Our team spent hours shadowing and learning from front-line staff. At the end of the project, not only were we on time and on budget, but we had a product that our employees were excited to use because it was theirs. We learned that this is the type of model that works. — Product Owner