Continual User Participation in Human-Centered Research and Design 

Continual User Participation in Human-Centered Research and Design 

Meaghan Hudak | Reading time: 4 minutes

Many of those who receive health coverage from CMS are some of the most socioeconomically vulnerable populations in the United States. Their right to high quality healthcare is heavily reliant on the ability of CMS and associated healthcare workers to provide effective support for its program beneficiaries and health providers. Ventera provides innovative solutions to continuously improve this support system by centering user feedback in its product development and improvement processes.

We learned about two custom designed and developed CMS products: HCQIS Access Roles and Profile (HARP) and Program Resource System (PRS 2.0). This case study highlights the importance of incorporating human-centered research and design throughout the entire lifecycle of product development. 

Attendees learned: 

• Continual user research with stakeholder/end-user participation in the product development lifecycle leads to relevant and timely user experience (UX) design and increased user investment towards product success,
• Flexibly shifting between having a leadership mindset and a team player mindset in a cross-functional team is key, and
• From creating a minimum viable product to adding value to an MVP, the focus of UX research often changes, but the human-centered approach does not end when each project milestone is reached.

The presentation was facilitated by Shelagh Cully, Senior User Experience Designer, Mana Hayashi, Senior User Experience Researcher, and Hyorim Park, Senior User Experience Researcher. All speakers are with Ventera. 

Shelagh starts the presentation off with an audience question, “What does it mean to be continually engaged?” For users that might mean collecting follow-up information and feedback. In order to do so, the whole product team has to be continually engaged with each other.

Human-Centered Research and Design: Best Practices

1. Collaborate cross-functionally
2. Continually engage users
3. Work iteratively think holistically

Shelagh asks, How do we incorporate these best practices into the product team workflow? How do we continue to bring value to users? Below includes information of the ESS team: 

Enterprise Systems and Services (ESS) 

Cross-Functional Work Process

Engage users through cross-functional collaboration
User interview
▪ Lead User Experience Researcher
(UXR) has 1-on-1 conversation
with user
▪ UXR and UX Designers assist
▪ Peer review scripts, take notes
▪ Observers can be developers,
data team, leadership,
stakeholders
▪ End interview with follow-up
questions and debrief

Benefits of cross-functional engagement of users
3 Team consensus on product needs are grounded in user perspectives
2 Product team members can more easily empathize with users
Users can speak directly to product team on their needs/concerns 

Our cross-functional team interviews PRS 2.0 users

Usage scenario: Search for information
on Medicare/Medicaid doctors
Our cross-functional team interviews PRS 2.0 users
9
Active member: Physician Group A (since YYYY)
Previous member: Physician Group B (YYYY - YYYY)
— Physician Group Membership
which group though?
▪ Pain point: Cannot find a doctor’s
group practice affiliations easily
▪ Data team asked follow up question
“What information do you need to see?”

Benefits of cross-functional engagement of users
10
3 Team consensus on product needs are grounded in user perspectives
2 Product team members can more easily empathize with users
Users can speak directly to product team on their needs/concerns

Engage users by collaborating beyond your team
11
▪ ESS Team works with Help Desk
Team
Teams gathering to collaborate
▪ Explore why HARP users contact the
Help Desk
▪ Not being able to login
▪ Forgotten password
▪ Manual identity proofing

Best practices for human-centered work processes

Product team works regularly with the UX team to communicate with users.

Consistently manage user lists to recruit and build trust with users.

Work in iterations, but keep in mind user’s entire journey with the product.

If you missed the case study presentation, check out the transcript and recording on the CCSQ World Usability Day page. This page also includes an archive of transcripts and recordings of speaker presentations, session materials, and event photos. For more information about the Human-Centered Design Center of Excellence, refer to the HCD CoE Confluence page.