In 2019, the Yale AIDS Program worked with LLD to develop a mobile app that assists Hepatitis C (HCV) patients in understanding the infection and managing their treatment and post-care.

The Problem

The Yale AIDS Program found that patients newly-diagnosed with Hepatitis C often struggled to understand the nature of the infection, the details and scope of their treatment plan, and the often-confusing terms that are used by medical professionals when communicating with the patient. The challenge was to simplify the treatment process for HCV patients.

Our Solution

LLD worked closely with medical professionals at the Yale AIDS Program to develop a self-directed patient experience consisting of five “steps” —  lessons focused on testing, diagnosis, treatment, and after-care. The LLD team used data provided by the Yale AIDS team to write the lessons, with each presented as a brief topic, such as “Testing for Hep-C” and “What to Expect During Treatment.”  Lessons also included a short, multiple-choice quiz to demonstrate their knowledge of the material. As the patient progressed through the program, they gradually developed a basic literacy of each topic. 

The app also includes additional patient resources, including a glossary of common terms used by healthcare providers, and a Helpful Links section for further reading about HCV on reputable healthcare websites such as the CDC and NIH.