Foundation Medicine: Cancer Testing Digital Report for Oncologists
Product design
DURATION
Jun 2021 - Aug 2021 (3 mos.)
ROLE
User Research, Concept Ideation, UX/UI Design, Design Workshop
TEAM
Ilhee Park, Kristyn Berry, Dan Terry, Serena Flanagan
DURATION
Jun 2021 - Aug 2021 (3 mos.)
ROLE
User Research, Concept Ideation, UX/UI Design, Design Workshop
TEAM
Ilhee Park, Kristyn Berry, Dan Terry, Serena Flanagan
Today, clinicians are presented with some pathway-specific information in report contents but are not provided with visuals illustrating how the variants detected may be impacting different points of the same pathway, and how those impacts may or may not lead to therapy response.
Knowing the pathways that the detected alterations impact, can provide clinicians with information on which pathways are driving their patient’s cancer and therefore which they should prioritize and target.
According to several interviews with doctors and design workshop, I proposed a digital platform concept that provides aggregated information for oncology clinicians.
Knowing the pathways that the detected alterations impact, can provide clinicians with information on which pathways are driving their patient’s cancer and therefore which they should prioritize and target.
According to several interviews with doctors and design workshop, I proposed a digital platform concept that provides aggregated information for oncology clinicians.
![](https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/53de3230de79bb4b2fcb5b8e9b6e1b2cf7edfd55d7a52e1b7f07303653e68262/Untitled-2-01.png)
Recognition
Launched publicly on November 2022
![](https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/3ff1bb7a5d9f78a30f16bef2815357382de18a83deccf1611a0938054331fcfd/Final-project-report.png)
![](https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/b4d9ff0333b38790a47dfecda549f495f639a28b64b592fa0fb90e57fc48ace9/Untitled.png)
About the company
![](https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/64b84fbf2800182a42fb58fe942b3bebcc2aecff1ff3582feea117407eaa7fa2/FMI_horizontal-fire-7132x1519-66a8ef8.png)
Cambridge-based Foundation Medicine, Inc. is revolutionizing cancer care by using advanced genomic profiling and data analytics to provide personalized insights into tumor molecular profiles, guiding informed treatment decisions for oncologists and optimal therapy matches for patients.
My role
During my three-month role as an Associate Experience Designer at Foundation Medicine, I was part of the early stages of a new project. I created design concepts, conducted user interviews with medical professionals in oncology, and collaborated in design workshops with colleagues and the project manager. This laid the important groundwork for the project's development and improvement.
Goal
Transition from lengthy PDF reports to a more efficient and accessible reporting format, aiming to attract both returning and new users.
Key Concepts
01. Comprehensive Dashboard
The dash board presents a list of patients along with essential details including their names, cancer types, and test types.
![](https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/e7d6003948d8ce30652347b6573987af21f0ee2e0e0983c540682b16bac755a5/dashboard-new.png)
02. Pin & Compare feature with aggregated information
Following the user interview, comparison emerged as the primary method for doctors to determine the next treatment.
03. Future Therapies Recommendation
While doctors might not solely depend on this information, they have recognized its potential to be a helpful aid in their decision-making process.
04. Therapy Pathway with Print feature
The accompanying graph illustrates the differences between the data, and it's also designed to be printable, enabling doctors to easily share this information with their patients.
Backgrounds
01. No visual Information
Lacking visuals illustrating variant impacts, which, according to doctor feedback from user interviews, hinders effective communication with patients.
02. Lengthy PDF-Only report without aggregated information
![](https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/47355275e64b75501d05efb710a7936bb43acef0fb6dda19e8f70a3b585ba8ec/report1.png)
![](https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/0f0d8cf54899968304548450afd80a83246b12fb1a0f2c0d3766b540a409e7ba/report-2.png)
Traditional PDF cancer testing report
Conventional cancer testing reports are lengthy and text-heavy, posing challenges for doctors to review thoroughly.
User Interviews
DURATION
Jun 2021 - Aug 2021, 1 hour each interview
INTERVIEWEES
Eight oncology specialists
We conducted interviews with doctors specialized in oncology, aiming to grasp their real-world challenges and specific requirements for a digital reporting format.
![]()
![](https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/b30ba693f8d9c7106a0859150f8a0dabd2603a47e9a4035224a35791b3073927/interview1.png)
Design Workshop
PARTICIPANTS
Clinical Product Manager, Pathologist, Experience Designers, Clinical Product Developers at Foundation Medicine
While interviewing doctors, we also conducted an internal design workshop to identify any issues or ideas that doctors might not have mentioned, ensuring a thorough approach to design improvement.
![]()
![](https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/9cffcd242b1df90e2a1a99257846af7ffcc45911aafca229834c2dc97ddf91e7/workshop.png)
From the user interviews and design workshop, we found four key insights that could be incorporated into the product.
Pain Points
Insights
01. Patient Overload and Memory
︎︎︎Need a comprehensive patients’ list
02. Single Test Result from PDF Report
︎︎︎Need a Unified Patient History View with Seamless EMR Integration
03. Time Constraints
︎︎︎Introducing a Future Therapy Recommendation Feature with status overview would be helpful
04. Communication Challenges with patients using Text-Heavy Reports
︎︎︎Accessible Visual Information is Needed for Patients
Information Architecture
![](https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/faf7b39a2e13493ab2d50f8922e3c5cf7bc7fca4549b7c5626679aa5b9bcd26e/information-architecture.png)
Final Design
01. Comprehensive Dashboard
The dash board presents a list of patients along with essential details including their names, cancer types, and test types.
![](https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/e7d6003948d8ce30652347b6573987af21f0ee2e0e0983c540682b16bac755a5/dashboard-new.png)
01-a. Search Feature
We included the mutation search feature because we recognized that doctors often recall mutation names, whereas they may occasionally forget their patients' names.
![](https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/d778e572f897f6a966e7ec052305d47aa87658b6d2e473369e7261f2780f9ddc/Frame-13.png)
01-b. New Update Feature
Based on user interviews, doctors expressed a desire for a 'New Update' feature to help them stay informed, given their busy patient load.
![](https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/0145d36dbbd60ca06d1bacf5cc817eb424ceafd4110e53d7908e1225d5b2f56e/Frame-14.png)
02. Pin & Compare Feature with Aggregated Information
Following the user interview, comparison emerged as the primary method for doctors to determine the next treatment.
The Graph Oriented design displays data visualization through graphs depicting ctDNA, MTM/ML, and Toxicity on the main section.
03. Future Therapies Recommendation
Based on the aggregated data, this program has the capability to propose future therapy recommendations along with anticipated toxicity levels. While doctors might not solely depend on this information, they have recognized its potential to be a helpful aid in their decision-making process.
04. Therapy Pathways with Print Feature
The accompanying graph illustrates the differences between the data, and it's also designed to be printable, enabling doctors to easily share this information with their patients.
Benefits
01. Enhanced Treatment Decision-Making
The program empowers doctors to make more informed treatment decisions by allowing them to compare data, track patient history, and access future therapy recommendations.
02. Time Efficiency
Integrated information and user-friendly features reduce doctors' time-consuming tasks, such as toggling between reports, searching for patient details, and analyzing data.
03. Improved Doctor-Patient Communication
Printable graphs and accessible updates facilitate effective communication between doctors and patients, enabling doctors to share insights in a comprehensible manner.
![](https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/aa5543795d2cc512c99c86eebb53306a797b2ccf8787b89b37dbb56b78106e32/visual-style-guide-new.png)