Redesigning the health care experience for Veterans, caregivers, and families at VA

Why: As part of the effort to improve the ease, effectiveness, and emotional resonance of Veterans Affairs services, the Veterans Experience Office sought fresh, deeply researched insights about their customers through the use of design-thinking methodologies. These customer insights were needed to guide immediate product and service innovations for veterans, their families, caregivers, survivors, employees, advocates, and those who advocate on veterans’ behalf.

What: Technical Assent designed and improved health care service experiences through 16 service design projects. We worked with VA sponsors to define scope, synthesized thousands of data points into design concepts, and led broad ethnographic field research with key VA stakeholders, veterans, caregivers, and VA employees. We validated concepts with users through testable prototypes and documented our findings in service blueprints, personas, journey maps, and insight reports. Several projects earned the attention of the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, including Inpatient Hospitalization Experience, Opioid – Alternative Options, and Telehealth Provider Adoption and Welcome Kit.