Receiving a lung cancer diagnosis is life-changing. Patients and caregivers have to process a lot of information while navigating psychological and physical stress.
In several Design Sprints, we worked with one of the world’s leading experts on lung cancer and mesothelioma to shape a digital companion that supports patients through treatment and helps improve their health outcomes and quality of life.
YEAR
2022
ROLE
Product Design Director at AJ&Smart — product design, prototyping, workshop facilitation, and design management
TEAM
Jess Leong Cohen and Steve McKenna. Developed by Bothrs.
The Challenge
A lung cancer diagnosis brings a sudden stream of decisions, appointments, and unfamiliar information. Patients need to understand their diagnosis and treatment options, but relevant guidance can be difficult to find, outdated, or hard to evaluate without a medical background.
The My Cancer Companion team wanted to give patients and their caregivers a reliable source of information, practical support through treatment, and better ways to work with the care team.
We worked with the project team and clinical experts through interviews and workshops. Together, we mapped the patient journey, explored concepts, and turned the most promising ideas into interactive prototypes for testing with patients and care specialists.
In several workshops with the My Cancer Companion team, we mapped patient journeys and key features.
Our Approach
We designed around the different needs patients encounter before treatment, during care, and beyond. The experience needed to feel clear and manageable, even when people were under stress or dealing with treatment side effects.
Many people diagnosed with lung cancer are older adults, and symptoms or treatment side effects can make it harder to focus or follow routines. We progressively simplified the interface so patients could understand what to do, find reliable information, and use the companion independently.
On first use, each user goes through a short intake survey about their diagnosis and their needs and goals. This data is used to personalize the companion.
Each day, the app gives patients a clear, easy-to-follow overview of recommended tasks.
Patients can see an overview of their upcoming appointments, including information on what to expect, and how to prepare.
Customizable reminders help patients to keep track of their appointments.
Users may attach files and documents they'll need for their appointment. They can also share their appointment with trusted contacts.
Based on user feedback, we simplified symptom tracking to reduce complexity, ambiguity, and mental load.
The companion enables patients to track symptoms and side effects over time, in a way that is easily shareable with their care team.
The library provides vetted articles written by leading experts. Content is tailored to a patient’s cancer stage and treatment path.
Patients can pin an article to an upcoming appointment and discuss it with a care provider.
Outcome
In four weeks, we turned the team’s vision and clinical expertise into a validated product direction. Three interactive prototype iterations explored the most important patient journeys, informed by fourteen qualitative interviews over two rounds of testing with patients at different stages of care and with care specialists.
The app has since launched, with support from major pharmaceutical partners including Lilly, Roche, Bayer, and AstraZeneca, as well as leading UK lung cancer advocacy groups.
