Sema4 Pregnancy Journey
Pregnancy Journey, from Sema4, is a comprehensive educational resource designed to guide expecting parents through both pregnancy and the postpartum stages with confidence. Through this web app platform, users can connect their health records to track important vitals, view weekly explanations about the baby's development, and stay informed about common prenatal tests and procedures.
Year
2020 - 2022
Design
Daniel Alcala, Alex Vessels,
Jackie Colognesi, Lauren
Mancuso, Stephanie Arnold
Engineering
Keith Augustsson, Keith
Thompson, Jwun-Da Lu,
Phil Kubiak, Sharon Chang,
Erica Li, Andrew Cohn
Product / Program
Divya Raghu, George Wong, Avi Jonas, Rohil Shah, Samantha Violante
01 Overview
The challenge
Sema4, a digital health and genetic testing company started by Mount Sinai and later becoming GeneDx, aimed to increase patients' connection rate with their electronic health records (EHR). Having access to larger medical records and EHR databases is incredibly beneficial for research studies and clinical trials, as it allows for identifying patients who meet eligibility criteria based on their medical condition, age, and gender.
However, clinical trials can be financially burdensome for hospitals due to the administrative overhead, regulatory requirements, and patient recruitment, which is often the most time-consuming and costly aspect of running trials. Recognizing that reproductive health patients already utilized the patient portal to identify increased risks for chromosomal abnormalities and reviewing test results, Sema4 sought to further engage patients by integrating a pregnancy tracking tool within the portal.
The challenge was not only distinguishing our service amidst a crowded market of numerous pregnancy tracking apps but also delivering the project under a tight deadline of just a few weeks.
02 Goals
Our main objectives
1
Craft a unique app experience in a crowded space of pregnancy apps
Increase patient EHR (Electronic Health Record) Consent rate and health data collection rate
3
Create educational genetic testing content reviewed and approved by our board-certified OB-GYNs.
4
Increase patients’ interactions with the portal beyond tracking tests to offer more support and added value
03 Discovery
Some of the questions we asked ourselves
To initiate the project, we began with extensive secondary research. The product team and I conducted a vast exploration, including a competitive analysis of both consumer and enterprise pregnancy apps.
We conducted a literature review with a specific emphasis on patient and Electronic Health Record (EHR) utilization, patients and medical devices, and patient pregnancy tracking and outcomes. Additionally, a comprehensive social listening review was given, centering on social platforms such as Reddit, Baby Center, and Facebook.
Competitive analysis
I conducted a thorough analysis of prominent pregnancy apps such as The Bump, Ovia Pregnancy, Sprout Pregnancy, WebMD Pregnancy, Glow Nurture, and more to explore their content and visual identity, aiming to gain clearer insights into the current market landscape.
A common critique we identified, and was later validated through testing, was the overly cutesy and stereotypical nature of their content. The heavy advertising and brand-sponsored material contributed to a perception of less credibility, organization, and information overload within these apps. The lack of personalized information for individual users further detracted from the overall usability.
User testing goals
1
Confirm research insights and opportunities from desk research
2
Identify any new areas of exploration we had not considered
3
Validate or invalidate value and usefulness of proposed features
4
Use iterative design & testing process to zero in on best user experience
Initial testing phases centered on assessing the viability of integrating a pregnancy tracker within a genetic testing company's services. Subsequent rounds shifted focus towards identifying opportunities for product differentiation and establishing a unique market position. Our user interviews were conducted with a mixture of current Sema4 patients and new people sourced from UserExperience.com to help gather feedback and shape revisions based on feedback.
User Interviews
Following the completion of our secondary research and early testing, I collaborated with our Patient UX Designer to develop discussion guides and generate a range of low-to-high fidelity design concepts for testing with real users.
I created a working interactive mobile prototype in InVision. The prototype was tested by seven pregnant Sema4 patients, with a full range of pregnancy trimesters covered and already using our services as well as other pregnancy apps, making them well-versed in available offerings and able to compare experiences.
UX Findings
User testing delivered positive results, with the prototype rated very easy (7/7) to use and users understanding all core functionality. The vitals functionality emerged as a key differentiator, and one user mentioned the explanations about timeframes, vitals, and why they are being measured within the vitals section as very important to understanding their importance. Users of the patient portal demonstrated a significant level of trust in content originating from Sema4.
Our initial assumption that mobile web app usage should be the priority, like most other pregnancy trackers, was disproven during testing. Only half of the users expressed a preference for using Pregnancy Journey on mobile, citing security concerns and login hassles as the main reasons. This valuable feedback highlighted the need to reevaluate our mobile prioritization strategy and consider developing a dedicated app to provide a seamless one-time login experience in the future.
While users trusted the company, clarifying the genetic testing connection was also an opportunity we wanted to focus on in revisions. Most indicated a strong inclination to incorporate Pregnancy Journey into their existing suite of tracking apps or even adopt it as their primary choice. The overall takeaway emphasized each pregnancy's uniqueness, with expectant individuals seeking reassurance on progression and informed choices for healthy gestation, and postpartum women needing guidance on self-care and newborn care during this sensitive time.
Our users told us that they:
UI Findings
When it came to visuals, I was interested in delivering the right balance of content and expertise. User testing research helped inform how we would design a solution to look more academic, as customers expressed a preference for the scientific tone of our materials over the superficial content common in other applications. This led to a unified and unique-looking interface.
For the web app's visual direction, I strongly pushed for a clean, minimal look to enhance readability and differentiate it further from other apps. However, there was an issue with our color library and a debate with leadership and the advertising team regarding the use of our brand's baby blue color for all primary call to actions and usage.
I strongly disagreed with using the brand color, as it did not align with the desired pregnancy journey experience and did not pass Web Content Accessibility Guidelines for users with low vision or color deficiencies. I deemed it crucial to have a more soothing and neutral tone, like purple, for the business and visual direction. After some effort to persuade, I was able to add this color to our brand library and change the colors to something I believed in, helping us further differentiate ourselves.
The original icon library created by a former designer vs. the weekly icons I made, based on feedback, to give them a more sophisticated and modern feel.
The CMS system as constructed from the MVP outline
Creating resources
At the outset, we read through a selection of pregnancy literature to assess the essential content required for a minimum viable product (MVP). Acknowledging our limited resources, we knew that we couldn't match the content depth of our competitors. However, we recognized the importance of having quality content to engage patients. Our research also revealed a segment of users seeking a more streamlined experience.
We established four fundamental principles to
guide the development of our content:
Smart
Simple
Interesting
Outline and CMS development
The Director of Content spearheaded the initial content outline for the MVP, which served as the foundation for developing our custom CMS platform. Collaborating closely with the engineering and product teams, they led the creation of Sema4's inaugural in-house CMS platform. The collaboration began with product and program members contributing content to the system. Our copywriters conducted thorough editorial reviews before publishing each page. The new system streamlined the process of revising copy, eliminating the need for our traditional ticketing process.
Pregnancy Journey by Sema4
Pregnancy Journey is the only pregnancy tracker that seamlessly integrates with health records, enabling users to monitor crucial vitals such as heart rate and blood pressure throughout their pregnancies. Pregnancy Journey allows users to:
1
Access to clinically validated pregnancy and postpartum content
2
Monitoring of vital sign information within the pregnancy context
3
Track pregnancy progress on a weekly basis and report significant events
4
Contributing to Sema4's research repository to drive groundbreaking research discoveries
06 Key features
Getting the word out
Many patients discover Sema4 and Pregnancy Journey through their healthcare provider. Initially, they enroll for test results via the Sema4 patient portal. Next, we reach out via email to invite them sign up for Pregnancy Journey.
Feedback from users indicated that they readily signed up for Pregnancy Journey because of the trust they have in their physician and their positive perception of Sema4.
Opting in or opting out
Weekly Updates
Pregnancy Journey is structured as a series of weekly updates. Users can toggle between weeks, which allows them to look ahead or look back - a feature that was requested during research.
Weekly Summaries
Each week contains a summary and updates on the baby’s body, the patient’s body, their vitals (if they linked their EHR records), and exercise and nutrition information.
Weekly Baby Content
Weekly Body Content
Content in each section is concise, limited to a few paragraphs, avoiding the endless scrolling users complained with other pregnancy trackers. Each 'Your Body' section is paired with a list of symptoms for users to learn about.
Symptoms
Vitals Tracking
Our primary differentiator is enabling users to connect their EHR records to their Pregnancy Journey account. This allows them to compare their vitals against a reference range of patients, implementing one of the most requested features during our research.
In addition to showing users how their vitals track over time, we provide them with extra information about each vital sign - blood pressure, heart rate, and weight.
Reference Range
Because users specifically wanted to see how they compared to other pregnant individuals, we plotted their vitals against a reference range. We provide additional information on this range, with the caveat that users should reach out to their providers if they are concerned about how they track against it.
Exercise and nutrition content
Exercise and nutrition were the top user-requested topics during research, reflecting a strong desire for guidance.
The exercise section includes safe activities tailored to each trimester, alongside highlighting the advantages of physical activity during pregnancy. Nutritional information provides scientific explanations of essential vitamins and nutrients, offering guidance on meals and snacks throughout pregnancy.
Resources
Reporting a birth
Once a user reports a birth, Pregnancy Journey transforms into Family Journey. Users are congratulated on the arrival of their new little one with a fun confetti animation and visual interface is updated to reflect the birth.
Family Journey
The categories in Family Journey are the same as in Pregnancy Journey, but the content differs slightly. “Your Baby” content focuses on caring for a newborn. “Your Body, Exercise, and Nutrition” focus on the physical changes that occur after birth and postpartum healing.
Promotional video created to celebrate Sema4 going public
The outcome
Launch highlights
There was an 83% increase in the connection of EHR records from Pregnancy Journey users versus those who did not use the service.
Pregnancy Journey users who use EHR spend 52% more time on the portal than non-connected Pregnancy Journey users.
Pregnancy Journey was a central focus of Sema4’s Nasdaq video when the company went public.
After acquiring Sema4, the CEO of GeneDx specifically highlighted Pregnancy Journey as a key asset contributing to the excitement about the merger.
What's next
Priorities for next updates would have been:
Monitor feature performance and effect on existing business goals
Explore how to expand on existing value prop for connecting health data
Develop and refine additional pregnancy and postpartum content
Perform user testing to see if we should develop an IVF patient experience