Designing an At-Home Genomic Testing Service for Cancer Patients
How might we support patients with Multiple Myeloma in joining a cutting-edge genomic research study — from the comfort of their homes.
My team at Prophet partnered with MMRF to design CureCloud, a nationwide at-home testing service that collects blood samples for genomic sequencing. By grounding our work in the lived experiences of patients, caregivers, and doctors, we built a service journey that was not only clinically sound, but emotionally attuned.
timeline
Oct 2019 - Mar 2020
role
Led and conducted qualitative research across three user groups
Facilitated synthesis workshops and created patient journey maps
Designed and presented service concepts with cross-functional stakeholders
Partnered with Doma agency designers to prototype the patient portal experience
team
Strategy Consultants (2)
Design Strategy + Research (me)
Healthcare Facilitator (1)
Agency Partner (Springbox)
impact
Created a scalable, human-centered service grounded in the real needs of Myeloma patients. 1,016 patients had enrolled in the study as of Oct 2022.
Background
The Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation (MMRF) came to us with two requests:
Help them the lived experience of people with Multiple Myeloma — from diagnosis to recurrence.
Design a human-centered service that enables myeloma patients to have their genome sequenced at-home for free as part of their CureCloud research study.
This study had immense potential: helping doctors tailor treatments while advancing cancer research. But for patients navigating a complex and life-altering illness, convenience and trust were non-negotiable.
Research
To ground CureCloud in real-world needs, we conducted in-depth qualitative research with:
18
People with Multiple Myeloma
8
Caregivers of people with MM
8
Doctors who treat MM patients
We developed audience-specific guides and worked with a professional facilitator to ensure interviews were both thoughtful and trauma-informed.
Our goals:
Surface emotional and logistical barriers to participation
Map patient and caregiver decision-making timelines
Identify opportunities for building trust in the new testing service
Read the full Research Guide
To synthesize our findings, I led the creation of a detailed Patient Journey Map. This became a shared touchstone across teams and stakeholders — capturing emotional states, system pain points, and key inflection moments across time.
Zoom in to the Figma file get a better look!
✨ from insight to action
Below are select research insights that informed the design of the CureCloud service, determined how we would position it to patients and physicians, and determined when we would introduce it to patients on the journey.
Insight 1: Proactive vs. Reactive Patient Archetypes
Patients don’t all approach treatment decisions the same way. Through our research, we saw two behavioral archetypes emerge:
Proactive Patients seek information and options independently. They’re more likely to sign up on their own or ask about CureCloud before a doctor mentions it.
Reactive Patients rely heavily on their care teams. They prefer to wait for recommendations and support before acting.
These behaviors aren’t fixed — patients often shift over time, especially after key milestones like diagnosis or relapse. Lifestyle factors such as age, education, income, and geography influence how likely someone is to take proactive steps.
Design Implication
At launch, we targeted Proactive patients but kept the needs of Reactive patients’ front and center in our design.
For proactive patients:
Share updates and opt-in resources through newsletters, search, and patient communities.
Encourage a call with MMRF nurse navigators to talk through any particular questions.
Emphasive the CureCloud registry and the data/insights they will gain access to.
For reactive patients:
Focus on building physician awareness and trust, so the conversation can happen in the clinic when the patient is ready.
Let them know they can choose to do the blood draw with their doctor instead of at home with our phlebotomosists.
Make it easy to share information and genomic testing results with their loved ones.
Insight 2: Physicians Are Gatekeepers of Trust
Patients consistently expressed that physician involvement was critical to their confidence in CureCloud. They wanted to talk through the program with someone they already trust.
Yet, physicians raised real concerns:
Lack of actionable insights for many mutations
Worry about patient confusion or anxiety
Low bandwidth for extra coordination or admin
Design Implication
Build physician trust and lower barriers:
Position CureCloud as a rigorous, free, and low-effort program
Clarify that results will be interpretable and actionable (or accompanied by navigator support)
Keep physician workload light — minimize paperwork and follow-ups
Create support resources: educational flyers, hotlines, and referral workflows
Insight 3: Moments of Openness Come After the Shock
The best moment to introduce CureCloud to patients is after the initial shock of diagnosis or relapse has worn off and patients actively seeking treatment options and clarity. Once they start undergoing treatment, they likely won't have the energy to investigate other options.
Design Implication
Our strategy focused on showing up at the right moment — when patients are searching for trustworthy next steps:
Emphasize emotional clarity and gentle invitations, not pressure or urgency
Use physicians as trusted messengers, or include CureCloud in patient materials after a consult
