Building a secure messaging system to connect members and Advocates
Navigating today's healthcare system is complex and emotionally challenging.
Health Advocate is an employer benefit that aims to bridge the gap with one-on-one guidance.
I led the design of a messaging platform that transformed fragmented support interactions into a scalable system, improving the member experience & operational efficiency. ✴︎
My contribution
Product design
Product strategy
System design
My role
Lead Product Designer
Year
2025
Key Considerations
Members are most likely to engage with Health Advocate when they need assistance with a personal or stressful issue such as health insurance billing or mental health needs.
Health Advocate's existing support channels, phone call or live chat, introduced multiple pain-points:
Operational Inefficiency
Member information is gathered manually, delaying care and increasing costs
Service Awareness
Members are often unfamiliar with what topics they can receive help with, making current outreach dependent on acquired knowledge
Fragmented Interactions
Tracking case progress is difficult without written record, which can make the member feel disconnected from the process
How can we design an interface that guides members to help with personal, high-stress health issues with clarity and efficiency?
We know that members are engaging with Health Advocate's service because they have a sensitive issue they need solved.
This framing ensures our solution:
Streamlines case intake to reduce effort for members and Advocates
Creates clarity by defining available services
Empowers members with transparent access to their case status and history
Early Iterations
Basic wireframes were composed from working with stakeholders and Advocates with first-hand knowledge of member's needs.
Message topics and inputs were determined by existing Advocate case workflows.
Solution
Our solution encourages message topic discovery, access to existing cases, and clear status communication.
Design decisions were made to heavily consider accessibility and future scaling of services across the tool.
Feature Rationale
Intake Triage
Make a Service Request
Messaging Inbox
Impact
Reduced dependency on phone and chat-based support
Shortened average resolution time
Increased member satisfaction
Created a unified communication archive
The messaging tool has become foundational infrastructure for how members engage with Health Advocate.
By designing visibility into process, we reduced anxiety without increasing staffing. By structuring ambiguity out of intake, we improved outcomes.
This project shaping systems that balance member need, operational reality, and long-term scalability.
Health Advocate is currently developing it's first native mobile app that will heavily feature messaging services informed by the Asynchronous Messaging Platform.