MD Anderson wanted to improve conversion rates among international patients, but didn't know where in the journey to focus. Through research and prototyping, we identified non-clinical barriers that were causing patients to drop off or arrive unprepared—and built a digital tool to address them at the front door.

I led exploratory research with international patients to understand their experience from initial inquiry through arrival in Houston. Through recruiting, facilitating sessions, and synthesizing findings, we uncovered that patients had little understanding of what MD Anderson could and couldn't do for them—and that non-clinical barriers like organizing medical records, scheduling wire transfers, and coordinating travel were significantly influencing their perception of care and likelihood to follow through.

Our designers developed three prototypes to validate these pain points and explore potential solutions. I worked alongside the MD Anderson team in the field, teaching them how to facilitate prototype sessions so they could continue testing after we left Houston. Based on what we learned, MD Anderson chose to move forward with a digital engagement tool focused on the first few steps of the patient journey—helping patients understand eligibility, gather the right documentation, and prepare financially before committing to travel.

We partnered with Anvilo to build the product, testing features with users throughout development. After launching a month-long pilot with real patients recruited through MD Anderson's patient access team, we measured results against the hospital's internal strategy.

The pilot demonstrated both an increase in conversion and a decrease in administrative burden for the international patient team. Patients arrived better prepared, and fewer showed up only to find out MD Anderson couldn't help them. We handed the product over to MD Anderson's development team at the end of the project, and the experience is still accessible from their website today.