Empowering Marginalized Voices: UX Research Drives Inclusive Cancer Care

The Problem

Fred Hutch Cancer Center, a leading cancer research and treatment institution in Seattle, had a major challenge: Despite their famed services, patients from marginalized communities were not getting the high-quality care they needed. These included people underserved due to income, race, sexuality, gender nonconformity, or other reasons. This difference in care revealed a big gap in understanding and addressing these patients’ unique needs and experiences.

To solve this issue, Fred Hutch worked with Anthro-Tech to talk with these communities directly. Our goal was to inform the design and operation of a new inpatient oncology hospital and improve existing services, ensuring that all patients get fair and effective care.

The Solution

Anthro-Tech worked with Fred Hutch to hear from patients and caregivers from diverse backgrounds. Together with Ebony Marketing Systems, we chose participants from Black, Hispanic, Native American, LGBTQ+, and low-income communities. This ensured we included those most affected by unequal treatment in cancer care.

We hosted three in-person workshops across Seattle and held remote interviews. The workshops used a “research cafe” format with three main activities:

• Community Mapping: Participants explained what matters when choosing a hospital.
• Journey Mapping: They created visual timelines to show frustrations and difficulties with getting care.
• Storyboarding: They drew their ideal treatment experience, focusing on safety, inclusion, and comfort.

These sessions let participants share their experiences and suggest improvements. We analyzed the data to identify key themes and offered achievable recommendations, providing Fred Hutch with clear design principles to create a fairer and more supportive oncology hospital.

The Impact

Patients and caregivers greatly appreciated that healthcare providers finally listened to them. The workshops not only let them be heard but also connected them with others who shared their challenges, providing them more support.

Our achievable design principles have drawn much interest from Fred Hutch stakeholders. They will lead to a fairer oncology hospital, ensuring that all patients, especially those from marginalized communities, get the care they deserve. Fred Hutch is now dedicated to following these principles and creating a more inclusive Patient Advisory Group, setting a new standard for fair cancer care.