Missy Lavender, Founder and CEO, Renalis
Driving trusted outcomes in pelvic health with a chatbot
The brief
"Thank you to the TXI team for being an incredible partner. We are thrilled to deliver digital therapeutics for women+ health!"
According to Renalis Health, “Pelvic health disorders are insidious and expensive, affecting one in three people in the U.S. with costs exceeding $100 billion per year.”
These disorders are often emotionally fraught and complex. They are a progressive problem to solve for patients and equally challenging to treat for healthcare providers. Often, pelvic health patients must follow a comprehensive plan to manage their symptoms and improve their overall state of being, but many are unable to succeed.
Knowing how difficult this can be for patients and providers, Renalis wanted to build a data-driven tool that focuses and supports the patient on this journey.
To date, they’ve had success with a conversational agent (sometimes referred to as a chatbot), CeCe Lite, which provided people with a five-day experience of interaction and education.
When they came to us, the next step for Renalis was to do a proof of concept study for a full-digital therapeutics for Overactive Bladder and submit those results to the FDA. In this study, participants will fill out validated surveys through the CeCe conversational agent, as well as keep a bladder diary (tracking fluids in and fluids out) for three days.
Renalis sought help from TXI in two ways: to develop, in the short term, what was needed to facilitate the FDA study and, more broadly, to understand what the opportunities are to better serve this population beyond the immediate constraints of the study.
The challenge
Understanding patient needs through research and discovery
For people experiencing pelvic health disorders, the symptoms can be intensely embarrassing, and many are reluctant to identify and investigate their issues.
The opportunity to capture adequate patient health data and inform better avenues of treatment and education will come from an upcoming proof-of-concept study Renalis’ research partner, University Hospitals will lead.
The study will require participants to keep a bladder diary (tracking fluids in and fluids out) for three days. At the end of those three days, participants receive ongoing virtual behavioral therapy consisting of education and exercises to practice. There are two subsequent diaries at the four-week mark and eight-week mark, to show patients how and where they have improved over the course of the study.
Keep communication open and engaging. How can we utilize a conversational agent to educate and engage with users in expert dialogue?
Embrace the topic and empower users. Pelvic health is a complicated topic for many people, how might we address the emotional stress surrounding these symptoms while encouraging compliance?
Is the phone the answer? Requirement number one is to create a digital product to help make it as easy as possible for someone to keep a bladder diary.
Create a tool, not work. How can a tool give users more control over their bodies and lifestyles?
The Solution
In the pursuit of innovative data solutions, data readiness takes center stage in the collaborative efforts between clients and the TXI team. Workshops are orchestrated to not only foster creative thinking but also to address the crucial aspects of data availability, quality, and usability. These workshops serve as a foundation for the creation of interactive prototypes, specifically tailored for concept testing and validation. By actively engaging target users, we not only gain insights into interface direction but also cultivate empathy for end-users.
During the technical discovery phase, we delve into the intricacies of data constraints, ensuring compliance with regulations such as HIPAA. This exploration extends to determining the optimal technology for conversation agents, with the overarching goal of seamlessly unifying these agents with a diary-driven experience, all rooted in a foundation of comprehensive data readiness.
The solution
- A client and TXI team collaborative workshop to drive creative and innovative data solutions from multiple perspectives
- Create interactive prototypes for concept testing and validation with target users to better understand interface direction and build empathy for users
- Synthesize testing and user interviews to find common themes and key insights to drive a product roadmap
- Technical discovery to better understand HIPAA constraints, optimal technology for conversation agents and how to unify that agent with a diary-driven experience.
The integrated team at TXI uncovered valuable insights and delivered an extraordinary product that was innovative, user-centric and secure.
The outcome
Inclusive design that leverages empathy and data
Through an inclusive design approach, infused with empathy and data-driven insights, the collaborative efforts of Renalis and TXI resulted in a revolutionary digital therapeutic. The app, centered on engaging patients in a trustworthy and flexible format, significantly improved adherence to voiding diaries. This outcome not only met user needs but also aligned with Renalis' business objectives, providing validation for their product in their inaugural study.
TXI designed and delivered an extraordinary product that is not only innovative and user-centric but also prioritizes the security of sensitive health data. The success of this endeavor signifies a leap forward in pelvic health management, setting a new standard for digital therapeutics in women's health.
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