Designing a Recruitment Analytics Tool from Zero to One for Precision Medicine

My Role
Lead Product Designer

The Team
Senior Product Manager
Tech Lead
Software Engineers

The Problem
Health System's research team, including researchers, study managers, and research coordinators, faces challenges in recruiting participants for genomic testing studies focused on CDC Tier 1 conditions. To meet their four-year goal, they must recruit participants from the areas they serve while ensuring that participant demographics align with the local population. Additionally, they need visibility into the recruitment funnel, tracking key metrics at each stage—from initial outreach to sample collection and accessioning—to optimize their recruitment strategy and improve study outcomes.

The Objective
Create a user-friendly module within the Partner Experience Portal that will support program managers and study coordinators with functions and best practices in managing their genomic studies, tracking success targets and goals, and reporting success metrics through report outputs.

Product Background

Helix partners with health systems to provide CDCT1 genetic screening for hereditary breast and ovarian cancer (HBOC), Lynch syndrome (LS), and familial hypercholesterolemia (FH). The CDC and NIH stress early detection to improve public health.

To support genomic studies, Helix offers tools like sample tracking, test result insights, and marketing support. It provides digital consent tracking, EHR-integrated ordering, and flexible sample collection (in-clinic or at-home). Test results are delivered to the EHR, with genetic counseling available through partners.

Helix's Research Network (HRN) combines sequencing data with de-identified EHRs for research, cohort analysis, and precision medicine. Interactive tools help health systems analyze demographic trends and risk factors.

In Clinical Diagnostics (Dx), Helix offers genetic testing for disease diagnosis, starting with cardiac conditions and expanding to cancer. In Pharmacogenomics (PGx), it studies how genes affect drug response, initially focusing on Clopidogrel (Plavix) and later SSRIs. Reports track test performance.

Helix supports genomic research, diagnostics, and pharmacogenomics, helping health systems make data-driven decisions.

Team and Challenges

Understanding the User

Lead 7 User Interview sessions

Stakeholder Interviews

Key Takeaways

Audience: Study management teams, consisting of research or study coordinators and program managers or directors, need to track sequencing/enrollment goals, sample status, and demographic breakdowns of their genomic study populations on-demand.

Problem statements: 

  • Study Management teams have minimal visibility into the status of genomic samples and results.

  • Study Management teams must track sequencing and enrollment goals independently, requiring the help of in-house technical teams to create systematic tracking methods.

  • It is challenging and time consuming for study management teams to generate strategic data insights based on data collected from their study population.

Value Proposition:

  • Create a module within a software platform that study management team members can access on-demand that provides visibility into the status of individual genomic samples and results submitted through the study.

  • Include metrics that track enrollment/sequencing goals per partner per year and across study life time

  • Demonstrate the demographic breakdown of the current population along with insights on how to improve diversity within the population.

Synthesis for Feature Prioritization

Affinity Mapping

Personas

Wireframing

Wireframing