Client Scenario

A global advanced wound care company had developed a vacuum-assisted closure (VAC) device that could be prescribed as therapy. The device functioned as intended when used as prescribed.

Still, patients who used the device at home had significant challenges in compliance with the therapy and following the prescribed treatment.

The company recognized the value of patient engagement and improved patient compliance but had no method of creating this cost-effectively.

Our Approach

GlobalLogic reviewed patient feedback and theorized that the application did not provide enough value to the patients to get them to use it daily.

As a result, GlobalLogic had their human factors interactive design group conduct an in-depth study that included in-person interviews and shadowing the client’s virtual therapy specialist (VST) staff.

This provided insights into patient motivations and pain points associated with this type of therapy and guided the design of an application experience rooted in real patient needs. The aim was to promote proper device usage and improve the patient experience.

Based on the study, GlobalLogic’s strategic design arm then designed and developed a smartphone-based application that would interact with the wound closure device to track factors such as how often the device was used and for how long and turn the data into easily read scorecards for both patients and clinicians.

Benefits

This patient-focused application increased VAC usage and adherence, improving the overall patient experience and promoting engagement through daily tasks and gamification.

GlobalLogic also designed onboarding materials for clinicians to support the introduction of the application.

A new digital self-service model enabled better patient self-management and reduced the need for support from client personnel.

An analytics dashboard to track and analyze data over time made it easier for patients, clinicians, and nurses to track the healing process and continue improving the patient experience.

The app and its corresponding analytics tools drove much stronger patient compliance.

This allowed patients to wean themselves off the therapy sooner because their wounds healed in less time, all of which generated higher patient satisfaction.

The demonstrated success improved the clinicians’ confidence in the therapy and drove a higher prescription rate of the product.