A case study on our recent work in the healthcare industry from ESP Collective. www.helloesp.com

1. Case Study: Healthcare Innovation
How might we get 20-35 year olds to visit the medical community more frequently?
December 7, 2013
www.helloesp.com
559-549-3353

2. Many medical hospitals are finding it increasingly!
hard to connect with the younger population.
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Why don’t young people come to the hospital?
Do young people not care about their health?
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What do young people really want?

3. !
The Problem
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Customer retention in patients age
20-35 was dropping dramatically
Younger generation, age 20-35, is
using medical services over 60% less
than ages 65+
Need younger generation to come
more often to help balance insurance
costs of elderly
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4. ESP Collective
We use ethnography and design thinking to solve business problems in new
and innovative ways.

5. !
Our task..
Get 20-25 year olds to visit the
hospital more often.
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…that will solve it, right?
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6. !
Using ESP’s Social Science Methodology..
We found that youth care most about:
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Personal identity and self actualization
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Body image over health
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Social status and a youthful cohort

7. Problem Reframe:
How might we create an ongoing
connection between the medical
community and people ages 20-35
that matches their values for identity,
social connectedness, and health?
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8. Stage one: Ethnography & Synthesis
Using ethnography to understand youth’s values, beliefs, systems, and needs.
Field Observations
Journey Mapping
Contextual Interviews
Sense-making

9. Define existing systems
In Stage One we use ethnography, drawing on our expertise in anthropology,
to understand the current context and dynamics, giving us a deep
understanding and empathetic view of the problem set.

10. Journey Mapping
Mapped out the journey of participant’s emotions!
and actions during each stage of their health visit.
Contextual Interviews
Sat down with users in their homes and talked!
about their beliefs, values, opinions, and identity.
A Week in the Life
Spent a week with users shadowing their social !
life and routines, and probing insights.

11. Then sense-making of the vast
amount of data collected
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12. !
Insightful patterns emerged
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They didn’t like to attend hospital community groups because they didn’t want to
be labeled by group names like “Weight Management” “Stress Skills” “Wellness
Coaching”
They thought of the hospital as “only for old people” and felt that it was
sterile and unwelcoming, not where they would “hang out”
They had certain groups of friends that they would only do certain activities
with and would rarely integrate the two
They were constantly looking to connect with others through brief texting,
social networks, and small talk of common interests

13. So we reframed
the problem:
How might we create and ongoing
connection for younger individuals
that fit their values and identity?
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14. By connecting to them in a way that they value, they are
more likely to visit the office more often as a place they
value, rather than a place they visit when they have to.

15. Stage two: Reframe & Ideation
Using design thinking to ideate hundreds of innovative solutions to the problem.
Co-ideation with stakeholders
Mind Mapping
Ideation
Reimagining

16. Ideate innovative solutions
In Stage Two we use the insights gathered, and we co-ideated with the medica
hospital’s stakeholders including them in on the process.
Using design thinking methodologies, we came up with hundreds of possible
solutions to filter and test and validate in the field.

17. Brainstorming
Hundreds of ideas were thrown onto the board!
in the search for the most innovative solution.
Mind Mapping
The team mapped out their ideas in a flow of !
consciousness mind map, then collaborated.
Prototype Selections
The team chose the top ideas to move forward!
with and test in the field with users.

18. !
What if we…
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create an online social community?
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re-designed the waiting rooms so youth felt more comfortable and engaged while visiting?
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create an organically forming community away from the hospital that focused on forming
healthy relationships and lifestyles while doing things they enjoy?
create a feedback loop where younger patients can inform the hospital of their values and
likes, and create groups based on those values?

19. Stage three: Prototype
Testing the top ideas in the field, with actual youth, and iterating to the best solution
Rapid Prototyping
Feedback Loop
Improv

20. Test ideas in the field
We took the top ideas from Stage Two and built rapid, low fidelity prototypes
using improv techniques, and tested them with real 20-35 year old patients.
Here, we saw what idea was least expected, most innovative, and most
feasible that the youth would actually engage in.

21. Testing in the Field
We took the prototypes to the patients and did !
practice runs to get their feedback on what wows.
Rapid Prototyping
Through improv and visualizations, the team !
helped build the experience to test with patients.
Pains and Gains
Patients gave us direct feedback on things they!
liked and had trouble with, so we could iterate.

22. Food and Mood
Nights
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Non-named, organically forming, small groups
would meet at their selected location to discuss
health and life over food and away from the
hospital
They could feel more at ease in their own locations,
doing things they like and building positive
relationships in connection with the hospital
With curated discussion topics, they would cover
health topics, health news, and discuss things
relevant to their values
Most important: they were having fun in an
environment that was not labeled: hospital while
making lasting friendships
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23. Final stage: Iterate and Implement
Iterating to the best and most feasible version of Food and Mood Nights.
Feedback Loops
Multiple Iterations
Testing
Implementations

24. Getting it right
We continued to iterate Food and Mood Nights to get it just right. This way
patients helped us create a service exactly tailored to their needs.
We used their feedback to make each iteration a build on the first.

25. !
Some feedback..
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What if I’m scared to have
random strangers come into my
house?
How can we make sure that
health needs are still being
fulfilled?
What about connection outside
of designated group times?
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26. Online Communities
We created a private Google+ platform for !
to stay in touch and get closer through constant !
communication channels with members and the !
medical community.
Initiation Sessions
Before going to a member’s home, the first meeting!
takes place in a public space for everyone to get!
acclimated.
Discussion Guides
Hospital provided health discussion guides and!
health news to be discussed in each group meeting.

27. The Results…

28. 89%
Hospital’s overall customer satisfaction

29. 110%
Rise in hospital visits for patients ages 20-35

30. !
Breakthrough Results
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Patients age 20-35 felt more connected with not only the hospital, but
with a positive support system of friends
Patients knew more about health events centered around the hospital,
and attended them together
Staff were happier because patients felt more informed, comfortable,
and at home while visiting

31. Food and Mood members felt more in tune
with their identities and self growth.
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32. Youth gained not just “health” but positive
relationships and healthy lifestyles
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33. “It’s nice to be a part of, not just a place where I go when I’m
sick, but where I come to connect with others and grow.”
–Food and Mood group member, age 26

34. We are ESP
www.helloESP.com
inquire@helloesp.com
(559) 549-3353