Navigating Cancer Care: CTCA's Innovative Patient Support Platform

Challenge

Cancer Treatment Centers of America (CTCA), now City of Hope, faced a critical challenge in the fragmented healthcare system that made it difficult for cancer patients to navigate their care journey. The goal was to create a patient-centric platform that would:

• Connect patients with their care team 24/7

• Provide end-to-end support throughout the cancer journey

• Integrate various aspects of the oncology ecosystem

• Focus on chat and symptom management for the MVP

As the UX lead, I was tasked with validating assumptions and rapidly prototyping a platform that would meet both the emotional and practical needs of cancer patients.

What I Did

Leading a cross-functional team over a 10-week period, I spearheaded the following actions:

1. Research & Discovery

• Conducted 4 rounds of research, interviewing 9 former cancer patients, 5 nurses, and 3 doctors

• Collaborated with CTCA's advising care coordinator

• Uncovered key insights about patient needs for constant communication and support

2. Insight Development

• Identified the critical need for patients to feel consistently informed and supported

• Focused on creating a platform enabling constant connection

3. Design & Iteration

• Designed key screens for the MVP, including:

  • Symptom Management Tracker

  • Goals Tracker

  • Daily To-Do List

  • Nurse Admin Interface

• Utilized Figma for rapid prototyping and design iterations

4. Cross-functional Collaboration

• Worked closely with engineers and product managers

• Developed a functional MVP using React

• Ensured alignment between patient needs and technical feasibility

Outcome

Our efforts resulted in significant advancements in cancer care navigation:

• Successful MVP Launch: Launched the platform with integrated chat functionality, linking patients to a live nurse admin system.

• Pilot Program: Enabled CTCA to pilot the platform with partner cancer treatment clinics.

• Additional Funding: Helped CTCA secure additional funding from investors for their Series A.

• Improved Patient Experience: Created a platform that addresses the emotional and practical needs of cancer patients throughout their journey.

• Enhanced Care Team Efficiency: Developed tools for care teams to track patient progress and respond via chat or video.

This project not only met the immediate needs of CTCA but also laid the foundation for transforming how cancer care is delivered. The platform continues to evolve as it is piloted across partner clinics, with plans to expand its capabilities to provide even more robust support for patients throughout their cancer journey.