Patient Journey Mapping
A research-first exploration of the patient and caregiver intake process for inpatient mental health care programs.
01
Overview
The who and what of it.
Role
Lead Architect
scope
Research · UX
platform
Digital media campaign
audience
Patients & Caregivers
Sheppard Pratt is an upscale inpatient mental health organization distinguished by its depth of on-staff access — psychologists, psychiatrists, and specialized care teams.
This project centered on deep research into the patient and caregiver journey before treatment even starts, using those insights to remove barriers, build trust, and create a clearer, more supportive path toward inpatient care.
02
The problem
Adding stress to an already stressful moment.
The existing intake workflow was built for operational efficiency - not for the people navigating one of the hardest decisions of their lives. Caregivers faced a system that obscured critical information and demanded more than they were prepared to give.
Hidden costs
Pricing was difficult to find, turning an already sensitive conversation into an awkward, trailing disclosure - often arriving too late in the process.
Overwhelming intake form
The form demanded extensive information upfront. Many caregivers weren't prepared, abandoned it mid-way, and had to return — adding friction at the worst possible moment.
No pre-screening
Without a way to pre-qualify submissions, staff spent significant hours manually triaging unqualified leads — an unsustainable drain on clinical resources.
03
My process
The research, discovery, and the decisions that shaped the UX.
The sensitive nature of mental health, combined with strict HIPAA compliance requirements, shaped every research method. Direct access to patients wasn't possible, so the approach was designed to gather real insight without compromising privacy or retraumatizing participants.
​Journey mapping translated research into a shared visual language - surfacing exactly where caregivers were falling off, where information gaps created anxiety, and where better messaging could reduce friction and build confidence.
04
UX solution
Remove barriers before caregivers hit them.
UX solutions followed what the mapping and research was telling us. The intake form needed to be stripped to the minimum information needed to get started, pricing needed to be surfaced earlier in the process, and pre-qualification was key to identifying the right patients for the program. Insights from the journey maps were provided to the media team that helped drive an ad campaign focused on prequalification - so caregivers arrived better informed and more prepared before they ever touched the form.
Map both paths
Separate paths for patient, caregivers and the organization revealed where their realities diverged - and where misaligned expectations created the most friction.
Identify drop-off points
The maps pinpointed the biggest abandonment moments - the intake form, cost discovery and assessment, and the gap between first inquiry and first contact - as the highest-priority issues to address.
Redesign the intake form
Intake form recommendations to request only the minimum necessary information upfront, allowing caregivers to start without being overwhelmed and return to complete it on their own terms.
Pre-qualify through targeted media
Journey insights were handed to the media team to build a targeted ad campaign, answering common caregiver questions and pre-qualifying patients before they ever reached the intake form.
