From Zero to One: Building a B2B Analytics Tool to Track the End-to-End Patient Journey in Precision Medicine

Product Status

Shipped

My Role

Lead Product Designer

The Team

Senior Product Manager
Tech Lead
Software Engineers

The Problem

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.

Project Objective

Health System's research team, lack a centralized tool to effectively track the journey of biological samples and participants. Without real-time analytics or visibility into key metrics, such as the number of consented and sequenced participants, it’s challenging to evaluate outreach effectiveness, forecast recruitment progress, or align with goals like those set by the CDC Tier 1 guidelines. Additionally, the absence of integration with campaign systems further limits actionable insights and decision-making.

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.

Zero to one project planning for a minimum viable product (MVP)

Research Goals

Our goal is to identify and prioritize the key features and attributes that Research Coordinators and Program Study Managers need to effectively track study success and optimize participant recruitment efforts. By gaining insights into their workflows, challenges, and success metrics, we aim to define clear product requirements that will enhance their ability to:

  • Monitor Study Progress – Providing real-time insights into participant enrollment, engagement, and study milestones.

  • Evaluate Genomic Study Success – Identifying key performance indicators (KPIs) that measure study impact, sample collection efficiency, and data completeness.

  • Optimize Recruitment Strategies – Understanding participant demographics, outreach effectiveness, and barriers to enrollment.

  • Ensure Compliance and Data Integrity – Supporting adherence to regulatory and ethical standards while maintaining high data quality.

Understanding Our Health System Partners

11 External Interviews

8 Internal Interviews

External Surveys

To deeply understand the workflows, challenges, and goals of users managing precision medicine studies, I conducted 11 generative interviews with key stakeholders:

  • 5 Study Coordinators – front-line users managing day-to-day operations, recruitment, and data tracking

  • 3 Program Managers – responsible for cross-site oversight, study progress reporting, and resolving site-level issues

  • 3 Directors – focused on strategic insights, study risk assessment, and operational decision-making at scale

In addition to external user interviews, I worked closely with 8 internal experts to ground the product in real-world clinical and operational context:

  • 4 Dedicated Advisors – Acted as liaisons between Helix and its health system partners. They provided deep insight into provider workflows, partner pain points, and real-time feedback from the field.

  • 4 Medical Affairs Team Members – Ensured clinical accuracy, validated the presentation of sensitive health data, and aligned the analytics with regulatory and medical guidelines.

To complement the interviews and deepen understanding of current workflows, I conducted a survey targeting study coordinators and program stakeholders. The goal was to gather broader input on:

  • What tools and platforms they currently use to manage study and genomic data

  • How they access, interpret, and share genomic results across internal teams and partner sites

  • Pain points and workarounds they rely on when existing systems fall short

Synthesis For Feature Prioritization

Affinity Mapping

After completing 11 generative interviews and 1 follow-up survey, I synthesized qualitative data through an affinity mapping exercise to identify key themes, patterns, and user needs.

Transcribed and tagged insights from 5 study coordinators, 3 program managers, and 3 directors

  • Grouped over 100+ individual observations into thematic clusters using digital sticky notes

  • Emergent themes were prioritized based on frequency, impact on workflow, and repetition across roles

Key Metrics:

Top 4 recurring themes:

  • Fragmented data sources across spreadsheets, portals, and email (mentioned by 10 of 11 participants)

  • Lack of visibility into site-level performance (9 of 11)

  • Manual tracking of enrollment and sample status (8 of 11)

  • Delayed access to sequencing results (7 of 11)

92% of participants expressed a need for a centralized dashboard

73% mentioned difficulty comparing metrics across sites or cohorts

64% reported using manual or makeshift tools (e.g. Excel, email threads) to fill system gaps

Persona Development

For the initial MVP, we prioritized the needs of two core user personas: the Study Coordinator and the Program Manager. These roles were selected based on their direct involvement in daily study operations and their critical role in ensuring study success at the ground level.

Genomic Research Study Coordinator

Genomics and Research Program Director

User Journey Map

To ground the product in the lived experience of study coordinators, I created a user journey map early in the design process. This helped visualize how coordinators interact with tools, data, and people throughout the lifecycle of a precision medicine study — from patient enrollment to result interpretation.

Understanding The Key Problem

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, bridging the gap in health equity.

MVP Feature Prioritization

Showcasing Sample Journey and Funnel Drop Off

Understanding Demographics

Displaying the Number of Positive Results and Their Corresponding Conditions

Dashboard Design Principles

Data Prioritization (Hierarchy & Focus)

Use of Effective Visualizations

Interactivity and Customization

  • Display the most important metrics prominently.

  • Use size, color, or position to highlight key insights.

  • Group related data together for better comprehension.

  • Avoid information overload by limiting displayed data.

  • Use progressive disclosure (show details on demand).

  • Simplify complex data with summaries and tooltips.

  • Choose the right chart types for the data (e.g., line charts for trends, bar charts for comparisons).

  • Use color meaningfully (e.g., red for alerts, green for positive trends).

  • Provide context for the data (comparisons, benchmarks, trends).

  • Help users make informed decisions with clear takeaways.

  • Include alerts or recommendations when necessary.

  • Allow users to filter, drill down, or customize views.

  • Provide tooltips and additional details without overwhelming the main dashboard.

Minimal Cognitive Load

Actionable Insights

Wireframing & Exploration

Showcasing a Sample’s Journey

Users need to understand the number of participants in each phase of the recruitment process and sample’s journey.

1. Recruitment
2. Enrollment
3. Collection and Sequencing
4. Results
5. Genetic Counseling and Care.

Metrics are important!

To highlight a year's success, metrics are essential in representing both the program’s annual and four-year goals. Each program aims for a minimum of 100,000 participants over four years.
For quick assessment and to drive actionable steps, presenting the percentage of goal achievement for the year provides a more meaningful high-level insight into the study's success.

Demographics

In each interview session with potential users from health systems, demographics played a crucial role. Aligning recruitment efforts with the actual demographics of the area served is essential. A major challenge for health systems is that their recruitment often primarily attracts middle-class Caucasian females.

Our MVP designs strive to bridge the gap by enhancing diverse recruitment efforts based on demographics and location.

Positive Results and Actionable Steps

Health systems would like a quicker way to view positive results and have a central place to take actionable steps for those tested positive for a genetic variant. Prior to

HIGH FIDELITY DESIGNS

The dashboard is separated into tabs that represent the journey of a recruited participant and their sample’s journey.
Each tab showcases keys metrics and corresponding actionable items.

  1. Participant Recruitment

  2. Collection & Sequencing

  3. Sample Tracking

  4. Delivery & Results

Participant Recruitment

Below, we present the dashboard featuring an F-pattern layout, designed to guide users through the most important information quickly and intuitively. The left panel displays the total number of consented participants, filtered by the selected time range. To reduce cognitive load for the user, we’ve included clear, easy-to-understand labels and highlighted the effort required to reach their monthly goal.

When designing a dashboard with advanced analytic capabilities, it’s crucial to not only display the data but also help users understand how the metrics are calculated and broken down. For health systems aiming to recruit 100,000 participants within a 4 or 5-year contract period, it’s important to illustrate their progress toward this goal. This includes showing how many participants need to be recruited annually, monthly, weekly, and even daily to stay on track.

By providing this breakdown, users can quickly grasp their current standing and identify the actions needed to meet their recruitment targets, improving decision-making and overall efficiency. The design ensures that health systems can stay aligned with their goals while keeping track of their recruitment progress in real-time.

The Participant Recruitment tab is organized to showcase the total recruitment effort at the top level. Here, users can view the overall number of consented participants, along with the conversion rate, which represents the percentage of participants who progressed from consent to submitting their saliva or blood samples.

There are two conversion rates: one represents the number of participants who consented and submitted a sample, while the other reflects the number of participants who requested to join the study and then consented. Each conversion rate highlights the effectiveness of the program's recruitment efforts and strategy.

The graphical data provides a high-level overview of the number of individuals who have consented, displayed daily or weekly depending on the applied filter

The location density map is crucial for displaying the number of individuals consenting per zip code. This helps address the challenge of effectively allocating a program’s recruitment efforts by visualizing areas with higher or lower engagement.

Collection & Sequencing

The Collection & Sequencing tab follows an inverted pyramid layout, with the most high-level information displayed at the top. Below this, more detailed data is nested, allowing users to dive deeper into specific aspects of the collection and sequencing process. This design structure ensures that key metrics and essential insights are immediately visible, while also providing easy access to additional, granular data for users who need it. The intuitive flow of information allows for quick decision-making, while still offering comprehensive details for further analysis.

The Overview section displays the total number of samples sequenced throughout the lifetime of the study. This is crucial, as the success of the program and its return on investment (ROI) are directly tied to achieving the goal of recruiting 100,000 participants. Additionally, the user can focus on whether the total lifetime goal has been met or track progress toward the goal for a specific year.

Below the overview section, the status of each sample is broken down. Samples can be in one of three states, listed in order of priority: Sequenced Samples, Received Samples (in accessioning), and Awaiting Samples.

The sequenced samples section provides a clear breakdown for health systems using both in-office and at-home sample collection methods. It shows the number of samples sequenced for each method, as well as the number of blood or saliva samples collected in-office. It also indicates how many samples failed sequencing and need to be recollected. This breakdown helps users assess the success of each collection method and identify areas for improvement to reduce the need for recollections.

Beneath the secondary tabbing, there is also a Demographics section, which is closely tied to the selected tab. This section provides detailed demographic data that is relevant to the current view or selection. The four primary demographics that Helix has direct access to include race and ethnicity, age, gender, and preferred language. These demographic categories allow users to gain deeper insights into the diversity of the participants, helping to tailor recruitment efforts and ensure the program reaches a broad and representative audience. By associating the demographic data with the selected tab, users can quickly view how different groups are represented in specific datasets, improving analysis and decision-making.

Sample Tracking

The sample tracking tab enables the tracking and review of all submitted samples. This feature helps our partners maintain accountability for their recruited participants, particularly in cases where a sample needs to be recollected.

Delivery & Results

At the final stage of a sample’s journey, we ensure that test results are delivered to both the patient and our health system partners. As part of this process, we provide a detailed breakdown of positive and negative results for CDC Tier 1 conditions. Additionally, users have expressed interest in tracking the number of results that have completed sequencing but are still pending delivery to the patient and their provider. This visibility creates a sense of urgency, allowing users to follow up promptly and ensure that potential positive participants are informed of their results and can take necessary action.

Style Guide and UI Kit