CASE STUDY

Dept of Veterans Affairs

HUMAN CENTERED DESIGN

The Challenge

Health profession trainees (HPTs) with disabilities seeking reasonable accommodations at the VA were navigating a confusing and often frustrating process. The Department of Veterans Affairs needed to understand the actual experience—not the documented process, but what trainees and their supervisors were really going through—so they could identify where to intervene for maximum impact.

Approach

As part of Technical Ascent’s subcontract team, conducted comprehensive human-centered design research focusing on deep interviewing methodology. Interviewed current and former health profession trainees with disabilities, as well as supervisors and individuals directly responsible for helping HPTs acquire reasonable accommodations.

The research uncovered a critical insight: there was both an informal process and a formal process happening simultaneously. Trainees were experiencing two parallel pathways that often didn’t align.

Synthesized findings into a journey map showing how HPTs experienced both processes, documenting numerous pain points alongside bright spots where the system was working. Identified several key leverage points where targeted fixes could dramatically improve the trainee experience.

The Impact

  • Created a comprehensive journey map with dual pathways showing actual trainee experience
  • Identified specific leverage points for maximum impact interventions
  • Documented both pain points (what wasn’t working well) and bright spots (what was working well)
  • Used empathetic interviewing to surface authentic experiences within the federal healthcare system
  • Recognized by Employee Experience Team for deep listening, empathy, and compassion in research approach

Capabilities & Roles

Capabilities Utilized: Human-Centered Design, Discovery & Sense-Making, Strategic Illustration

Roles Fulfilled: Lead HCD Researcher, Interviewer, Analyst, Journey Map Designer (as part of Technical Ascent team)

Collaborator: This work was completed while an employee of Technical Assent. 

“Jessica has a natural talent for making people feel seen and heard. Her interviewing and facilitation skills bring out authentic stories and genuine connections.  She has a strong ability to create a comfortable space while drawing out meaningful insights, which makes every conversation engaging and impactful.”

-CB