The Story
Birthcontrol.com is a healthcare services company and Telehealth platform designed to put women in control of their health. They can browse products, complete an online questionnaire, upload insurance details, and go through the Rx screening. To get a prescribed medication they can upload their previously obtained Rx or schedule a virtual visit (Telehealth) with a licensed medical practitioner to get one. Then they can select their shipping options and other payment information to get their prescription right at their door!
Problem:
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Women’s telehealth platforms lacked intuitive user experiences that combined healthcare and e-commerce, making it challenging to build trust and streamline complex processes like Rx approval and fulfillment.
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Stakeholders prioritized upfront payment collection, risking user drop-off and eroding trust before establishing value through the platform.
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Designing an innovative shopping experience for healthcare products required balancing user needs, regulatory compliance, and technical API integration.
Gathered Insights:
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Conducted extensive market and competitor research, analyzing flows from leading telehealth platforms to identify industry best practices and unique opportunities.
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Led user research sessions with 10 participants from the target demographic, exploring preferences and expectations around payment collection, health surveys, and virtual visits.
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Partnered with pharmacists to ensure the proposed workflows were practical and adhered to medical compliance requirements.
Solution:
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Designed a streamlined telehealth experience where users could browse products, complete health surveys, and seamlessly schedule virtual visits or upload Rx documentation.
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Presented an alternative checkout flow to stakeholders, backed by user data, that prioritized collecting health surveys and insurance information before payment, striking a balance between user trust and business needs.
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Collaborated with engineers to implement TruePill’s pharmacy API, ensuring accurate Rx processing and fulfillment across 50 states.
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Iterated on e-commerce workflows, introducing user-friendly categories and navigation optimized for mobile and desktop platforms.
Implementation Process and Overcoming Challenges:
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Challenge: Balancing User Trust and Business Goals
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Obstacle: Stakeholders prioritized upfront payment before any medical review or service was offered.
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Solution: Stepped into a user advocacy role, designing and testing alternative workflows. Conducted A/B tests comparing three payment and survey flows, using participant feedback to convince stakeholders of a more trust-building process.
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Challenge: Developing a Healthcare E-Commerce Experience
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Obstacle: Creating an intuitive shopping experience for pharmaceuticals required innovation to accommodate multiple healthcare categories.
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Solution: Partnered with product designers to lead iterative prototyping, introducing category-based navigation, A/B-tested layouts, and high-fidelity designs built in Figma.
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Challenge: Complex API Integration
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Obstacle: Understanding TruePill’s API and ensuring seamless communication for Rx fulfillment presented a steep technical challenge.
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Solution: Personally reviewed API documentation, identified required fields, and wrote detailed product requirement docs to guide engineers through the integration process.
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Challenge: Establishing a Feedback Loop Without a Research Team
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Obstacle: Lack of a dedicated research team necessitated alternative methods for gathering user insights.
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Solution: Led ad-hoc research by engaging pharmacists, clinicians, and targeted users to refine the telehealth experience and inform design decisions.
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Challenge: Stakeholder Alignment and Buy-In
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Obstacle: Stakeholders initially resisted user-first design principles that delayed payment collection.
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Solution: Presented research-backed insights and competitor analysis to highlight the risks of upfront payment while proposing a balanced approach that aligned with business goals.
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Stepping Outside the PM Role:
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Acted as a researcher by personally conducting user interviews and competitive analysis to gather actionable data.
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Took on API and technical documentation review to bridge gaps between engineering and product requirements.
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Played a key role in shaping marketing strategy, working with teams to define SEO requirements, build analytics dashboards, and align social media branding with product vision.
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Partnered with pharmacists and clinicians to validate workflows and ensure compliance with healthcare regulations.
Results:
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Delivered a user-friendly telehealth platform enabling women to manage their health through an intuitive e-commerce interface, supported by seamless Rx processing and virtual visits.
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Gained stakeholder approval for a research-driven payment workflow that enhanced user trust and reduced drop-offs.
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Accelerated development timelines through precise API integration, ensuring compatibility with TruePill’s pharmacy infrastructure.
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Created high-fidelity prototypes that became the blueprint for the platform’s design, now used as a foundation for further development.
Key Lessons Learned:
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Balancing user advocacy with business objectives requires clear communication, data-backed arguments, and empathy for both users and stakeholders.
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Effective API integration begins with a deep understanding of technical requirements and collaboration with engineering teams to ensure accuracy.
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Innovation in telehealth e-commerce demands rigorous iteration and feedback loops, blending user needs with regulatory constraints.
Key Services Delivered:
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Product Management & Strategy
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Continuous Design Iteration and Feedback
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User Research & Market Analysis
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E-commerce Development and Optimization
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API Integration and Documentation