Background
A design research project to provide insights into the diverse experiences of being a transgender person in society. This work uncovered learnings and opportunities for Kaiser Permanente to provide better care and coverage for a population that has not been served well by the health care system.
process
RESEARCH
We spent time with transgender individuals and their loved ones, LGBT organizations and advocates, and clinical care providers. We met people in their homes to learn about their daily lives and support systems. We shadowed patients during clinic visits to experience accessing care from their perspectives. We used creative techniques like cultural probe kits to help participants articulate a lifetime's worth of experiences. Throughout the entire process, our number one priority was to create a safe and welcoming environment for participants to share personal, emotional, stories with us.
SYNTHESIS
After four weeks and 4,000+ post-its, we finally made sense of all of the quotes and stories we gathered from the field. We brainstormed and developed frameworks, visualized patient journeys, uncovered themes and patterns in the data, and eventually developed a cohesive story complete with a framework, insights, opportunities, and key stories to spread throughout Kaiser Permanente.
Impact
Insights and stories from this project have been shared widely across Kaiser Permanente. We've delivered over a dozen presentations, webinars, and immersion exhibits that have activated Kaiser Permanente leaders to commission several design sessions to reimagine the care, coverage, and spaces we provide for transgender patients. This project was featured as one of the main case studies in The Conference Board’s 2016 publication on Inclusion and Innovation.
