Improving Navigation for Oncologists in the Cancer Care Tool
Overview
IU Simon Comprehensive Cancer Center is known as the central hub for cancer research with over 250 researchers. The Cancer Care Roadmap project, initiated by the IU Cancer Center, includes interactive digital resources designed to simplify cancer care navigation for patients and enhance communication with oncologists.
I joined the Cancer Care Roadmap project to redesign the communication tool called the 'CLL (Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia) Mind Map.' My focus was on simplifying the interaction design to improve user understanding of the visualizations and facilitate more effective discussions.'
CLL Mind Map: Simplifying Treatment Decision-Making
The CLL Mind Map is a data visualization tool that enhances communication between patients and doctors. It allows for the comparison and discussion by highlighting key factors, such as
- treatment options
- benefits  
- risks
Ultimately supporting more informed treatment decisions.
Target users: Oncologists, nurses, patients, patient's families & caregivers
Previous vs. Updated Screen
Before the redesign
After the redesign
Role
UX designer
Key Accomplishment: Independently managed the visual design, leading to the creation of a comprehensive component library.
Timeline
July 2023 - Sept 2023 (2 - 3 months)
Design Team
4 UX designers (including me)
Client's Team
- Seasoned Oncologist & Founder
- Medical Researcher Expert
- Clinical Research Co-ordinator
- Developer
How did I put together this solution?
I kicked things off with some desk research and a heuristics evaluation. The insights I gathered from the evaluation helped inform the UI changes.  Then I handed off the wireframes, design documentation, and an improved user testing script to the client.
My team and client meeting
User testing session
Research
01
CLL Overview
Desk research provided insight into the nature and treatment structure of Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL). The existing CLL Mind Map primarily focuses on targeted therapy drug treatments for patients.
02
Previous testing
I analyzed the results of previous beta testing by identifying user quotes and SUS survey responses to pinpoint user pain points.
03
Usability Evaluation
Heuristics Evaluation was chosen as the quickest method to identify usability issues for the first design iteration. Identified 7 usability problems and noted 3 positive aspects.
Strategy
01
Project Goal
To finish the wireframes and design documentation in the span of two weeks.
02
Presenting findings
To meet the deadline, I presented the findings from the heuristics evaluation to the client.
03
Next steps
Based on their feedback and our discussion, we narrowed down the top three usability issues to address in this iteration.
Problems in the current version

01
Multiple navigation

Multiple navigation paths causing unnecessary clicks and user confusion.

02
Three gradient axis

Three gradient axis allows only cards per block affect the card ranking

03
Unclear graph

The diagonal division of the graph made it difficult to understand the placement of the cards.
Redesign Results

01

One single tab for simple and easy navigation

Styled the navigation bar properly with a selector indicator. This helps to mark the user's location properly.
It decreases the cognitive load for the users and clearly labels the content concisely.

02

Improved Card Design with Priority Buttons and Bar Gradient

Added 'low,' 'med,' and 'high' buttons to each card to assign a priority level. This allows multiple cards to share the same priority, enhancing the organization and visual clarity.  
The button labels also make it easier for users to quickly understand the intensity of the benefits and harms associated with each card.

03

Proper 3 x 3 Grid to place the cards

With the introduction of 3 priority buttons, a 3x3 grid was selected for the graph area to plot the treatment options cards. This grid structure allows for more precise placement based on the intensity of benefits and harms.
For example, the Chemotherapy + Rituximab option is placed in a section that reflects its higher harms and lower benefits.

New feature

Doctor's recommendation

In the results of the beta testing, the quotes of patients said that they want to know what would their doctor recommend for their treatment.
The filled blue sign on the card indicates that this is what their doctor would recommend for them.
Minor changes
01
Unified navigation bar
Replaced the two separate navigation bars with a single, uniform top navigation bar, resulting in more efficient use of space.
02
Consistent white space
Applied white space uniformly to position elements, enhancing content organization and overall layout clarity.
Impact
60%
Aesthetic Usability effect
Due to the redesign, users perceived the tool more positively and were willing to use it for visualization.
20%
Increased User engagement
The changes solved issues that made the tool easier for user to understand the information.
40%
Conversion Rate in testing
In A/B testing, users preferred the newer version as opposed to the older one.
Updating the project plan
The initial plan was to test the product iteratively with different types of users. However, this round of testing uncovered new problems that weren’t anticipated. These issues were significant enough to impact the goal of deploying the product in clinical practice.
As a result, the plan was adjusted to address these new problems and create a revised roadmap for scaling the product to meet its business objectives.
User Problems
01
Biased testing results
The beta testing script made users reluctant to mention issues, skewing the results with positive biases.
02
Lack of patient perspective
The tool works for oncologists after a certain learning curve, but patients struggle with navigation and discussions.
03
Gaps in communication
The tool doesn't really suit the needs of the communication that happens in the clinical setting between oncologists and patients.
Business goals
01
Clinical Practice Focus
The main goal was to adapt the tool for broader use in clinical setting beyond the IU Cancer Center.
02
Expand to Other Cancers
Another goal was to develop similar tools for navigating cancer treatments other than CLL.
03
Patient-centric version
To help patients feel more informed, create a version of the tool that provides cancer information before their oncologist visit.
Moving to the next part of the project
After revising the project plan, I delved deeply into how patients and oncologists communicate. I then integrated these insights into the CLL Mind Map concept, resulting in a fully functional prototype solving the user problems while balancing the business goals.
Next phase

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