Patients wait months to get approved for life-saving medications because of how the healthcare system works.
Role
Lead UX Researcher
Timeline
June 2023 - July 2024
THE RESEARCH TLDR
SUMMARY
I built the user research function at a healthcare-tech startup, establishing systematic research processes to understand the specialty medication approval workflow. I led research across multiple aspects of the patient-to-prescription journey, from insurance barriers to provider workflows to user experience optimization.
KEY METRICS
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Built and managed 20+ healthcare professional research panel
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Conducted 10-15 research studies weekly across Product, Marketing, and Engineering
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Created company's first centralized research repository
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Established research prioritization framework supporting 3 product teams
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Increase in CTRs, performance metrics, and SUS scores across various pages of website
MY ROLE & IMPACT
As Lead UX Researcher, I created the research infrastructure from scratch and led investigations with various healthcare professionals across the entire specialty medication workflow. My interviews with biologics coordinators revealed they only process 5-10 patient cases daily - a critical constraint that shifted our expectations. Competitive analysis showed how to transform drug ordering into an e-commerce-style experience, leading the team to redesign our interface using familiar shopping patterns instead of clinical workflows. My usability testing and A/B testing directly informed feature prioritization and website design decisions.
METHODS USED
Expert interviews, competitive analysis, usability testing, A/B testing, workflow analysis, preference & A/B testing, panel recruitment, research repository
IMPACT TO BUSINESS
Research insights directly shaped product roadmap by identifying realistic processing constraints and opportunities to streamline medication access for both providers and patients.
THE APPROACH
Research Operations
Panel Management & Recruitment
Research Repository
Process Standardization
Research Execution
Exploratory Studies
Usability Testing
Cross-functional Support
Business Goal: Establish systematic research operations to identify barriers in specialty medication workflows and inform product decisions that accelerate patient access to life-saving treatments
REFLECTING