User Research & Validation Plan
OBJECTIVE Validate Clinical Trial Navigator's core assumptions through structured user research before significant development investment
This plan focuses on patient and caregiver pain points in clinical trial discovery, solution desirability for our proposed features, and willingness to pay for premium functionality.
1 Key Assumptions to Validate
Assumption Risk Heatmap
Critical Risks (4)
- Problem awareness & seeking behavior
- AI accuracy and trust
- Willingness to pay
- Trust in AI for medical decisions
High Risks (6)
- Current tool frustration
- Jargon comprehension
- Match score trust
- Data import willingness
- B2B revenue potential
- Customer acquisition cost
2 Customer Discovery Interview Guide
FRAMEWORK 60-90 minute interviews with patients and caregivers
Target Interviews: 30 minimum (20 patients, 10 caregivers) across cancer, rare diseases, and autoimmune disorders
Recruitment Channels: Patient advocacy groups, Facebook support groups, Reddit communities (r/cancer, r/rarediseases), hospital partnerships, Craigslist
Incentive: $75 Amazon gift card for completed interview
Recording: Otter.ai for transcription, with explicit permission
PART 1 Background & Context (10 min)
1.1 Tell me about your health condition. When were you diagnosed?
1.2 How has this condition affected your daily life?
1.3 What treatments have you tried so far? How effective were they?
1.4 How do you currently manage your health information and treatment options?
1.5 Have you ever looked into clinical trials before? What was your experience?
PART 2 Problem Exploration (25 min)
2.1 Walk me through the last time you looked for new treatment options. What triggered this search?
2.2 How often do you look for new treatment options or clinical trials?
2.3 What's the most frustrating part about finding clinical trials?
2.4 Show me how you currently search for trials. (Observe their process on ClinicalTrials.gov or other sites)
2.5 What information do you wish was easier to find about trials?
2.6 How do you feel when you read eligibility criteria? Can you show me an example of criteria you found confusing?
2.7 What would make you more likely to consider a clinical trial?
2.8 Have you ever been close to joining a trial but decided not to? What stopped you?
2.9 On a scale of 1-10, how important is finding new treatment options to you right now?
PART 3 Current Solutions (15 min)
3.1 What tools or websites do you currently use to find clinical trials?
3.2 What do you like about your current method?
3.3 What's missing from these tools?
3.4 How do you keep track of trials you're interested in?
3.5 Have you ever used a patient portal or health app? What was your experience?
3.6 Would you be comfortable importing your health records to find matching trials? Why or why not?
PART 4 Solution Exploration (20 min)
4.1 If I showed you a tool that could:
- Translate medical jargon into plain language
- Show you how likely you are to qualify for each trial
- Track trials you're interested in
- Notify you when new trials match your profile
- Help with travel and logistics planning
What would be most valuable to you?
4.2 Show prototype screens (Figma mockups) and ask:
- What do you think this is showing you?
- Does this match score make sense? Would it help you decide?
- What questions does this raise for you?
- What's missing that would be important for your decision?
4.3 How would you prefer to get this information - mobile app, website, or both?
4.4 What concerns would you have about using a tool like this?
4.5 How much would you expect to pay for a tool like this? Would you prefer a one-time purchase or subscription?
4.6 Who else would need to be involved in your decision to join a trial?
PART 5 Wrap-up (10 min)
5.1 On a scale of 1-10, how painful is the process of finding clinical trials for you?
5.2 What would need to be true for this tool to be a "must-have" for you?
5.3 Would you be interested in being a beta tester for this product?
5.4 Who else should I talk to about this?
5.5 Is there anything else you think I should know about your experience?
Interview Pro Tips
- Listen more, talk less: Aim for 80% interviewee talking, 20% you
- Ask "why" 5 times: Dig deeper into each answer to uncover real motivations
- Observe behavior: Watch how they actually search for trials, don't just ask
- Capture verbatims: Record exact quotes about pain points and desires
- Look for patterns: After 5-10 interviews, start looking for recurring themes
- Follow the energy: When they get excited, explore that topic more
3 Survey Design
SCREENING SURVEY Build a pool of validated target users (5-10 questions)
Target: 500+ responses from patients with chronic/serious conditions
Channels: Patient advocacy groups, Facebook support groups, Reddit, health forums
Incentive: Entry into $200 gift card raffle
Screening Questions
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What is your primary health condition?
-
How long have you been living with this condition?
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How often do you look for new treatment options or clinical trials?
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What methods do you currently use to find clinical trials? (Select all that apply)
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On a scale of 1-10, how frustrating is the process of finding clinical trials for your condition?
-
What's the biggest challenge you face when looking for clinical trials? (Open-ended)
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Would you be interested in participating in a 30-minute interview about your experience? ($75 gift card)
VALIDATION SURVEY Quantify problem severity and solution interest (15-20 questions)
Key Sections
- Problem Frequency:
- How often do you look for new treatment options?
- How many clinical trials have you considered in the past year?
- Current Solution Satisfaction:
- How satisfied are you with current trial discovery methods? (1-10)
- What do you like/dislike about ClinicalTrials.gov?
- Feature Importance:
- Rate importance of: plain language summaries, match scores, tracking, notifications, logistics help (1-5)
- Pricing Sensitivity (Van Westendorp):
- At what price would you consider this product too expensive?
- At what price would you consider this product a bargain?
- At what price would you start to question the quality?
- Demographics:
- Age, location, education level
- Technology comfort level
- Insurance status
4 Landing Page Validation Experiment
EXPERIMENT DESIGN Validate demand before building
Goal: Measure interest in Clinical Trial Navigator before development investment
Duration: 2 weeks
Budget: $1,500 ($1,000 ads, $500 landing page)
Success Metrics:
- 1,500+ unique visitors
- 8%+ waitlist signup rate (120+ emails)
- 3%+ click-through on pricing (45+ clicks)
- Email quality: <10% bounce rate
Landing Page Components
HEADLINE A/B Test Variations
- "Find Clinical Trials That Match Your Health Profile - In Plain English"
- "Never Miss a Clinical Trial Opportunity - Personalized Matches for Your Condition"
- "The Easiest Way to Discover Clinical Trials You Qualify For"
- "Your Personal Clinical Trial Navigator - No Medical Degree Required"
FEATURES Core Value Proposition
- ✅ AI-powered eligibility matching
- ✅ Plain language trial summaries
- ✅ Personalized tracking dashboard
- ✅ Location-based logistics help
- ✅ New trial notifications
CALL-TO-ACTION Primary Conversion Goals
- Waitlist Signup: "Get Early Access" button → Email capture form
- Fake Door Test: "See Pricing" button → "Coming Soon" page with email capture
- Pre-Order Test: "Join Premium Waitlist" → $9.99/month pricing page (refundable)
Traffic Sources
Facebook/Instagram Ads
- Targeting: Chronic illness groups, rare disease communities
- Interests: Clinical trials, patient advocacy, health innovation
- Lookalike audiences from screening survey respondents
- Budget: $700
Google Ads
- Keywords: "clinical trials for [condition]", "how to find clinical trials"
- Search intent: Informational and commercial investigation
- Budget: $300
Organic Channels
- Reddit: r/cancer, r/rarediseases, r/autoimmunedisease
- Facebook Groups: Condition-specific support groups
- Patient Advocacy Organizations: Partnerships for email blasts
Analytics Setup
Google Analytics
- Traffic sources
- Time on page
- Scroll depth
- Device type
Hotjar
- Session recordings
- Heatmaps
- User feedback polls
Email Capture
- Mailchimp integration
- Double opt-in
- Source tracking
Success Criteria Dashboard
Unique Visitors
1,500 / 1,500
Waitlist Signups
120 / 120
Pricing Clicks
45 / 45
Email Bounce Rate
5% / 10%
✅ VALIDATION SUCCESSFUL - PROCEED TO MVP
5 Prototype Testing Plan
APPROACH Test core functionality with minimal development
Start with low-fidelity prototypes to validate desirability before engineering investment.
Prototype Options Comparison
| Option | Description | Cost | Timeline | Learning Focus |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wizard of Oz | Manual process behind the scenes - users interact with what appears to be a working product but all functionality is performed manually by the team | $0 + time | 2-4 weeks | Core value proposition, willingness to engage, feature importance |
| Concierge MVP | High-touch, personalized service where the founder manually guides users through the trial discovery process | $0 + time | 4-6 weeks | Deep user needs, pain points, ideal workflow |
| Clickable Prototype | Interactive Figma/Framer mockup that simulates the user flow without actual functionality | $500-$1,000 | 1-2 weeks | UX flow, feature discoverability, visual design |
| AI-Powered Demo | Limited-scope working demo with actual AI functionality for a single condition | $2,000-$5,000 | 3-4 weeks | AI accuracy, real-world matching quality, technical feasibility |
Recommended Prototype Roadmap
1
Wizard of Oz MVP (Week 1-2)
Manual matching process to validate core value proposition
2
Clickable Prototype (Week 3-4)
Figma mockup of full user flow for UX testing
3
AI-Powered Demo (Week 5-6)
Limited-scope working demo for a single condition
Wizard of Oz Implementation Plan
STEP 1 User Onboarding
- Google Form for health profile (condition, age, location, etc.)
- Option to upload health records (manual review)
- Consent for manual matching process
STEP 2 Manual Matching Process
- Team searches ClinicalTrials.gov using user criteria
- Manually translate eligibility criteria to plain language
- Calculate match percentage based on available data
- Prepare logistics information (travel distance, compensation)
STEP 3 Results Delivery
- Email with personalized trial matches
- Plain language summaries for each trial
- Match percentage and explanation
- Logistics information
- Follow-up survey about experience
STEP 4 Willingness to Pay Test
- Offer premium features (unlimited conditions, notifications)
- Test $9.99/month pricing
- Collect payment (refundable if not launched)
- Measure conversion rate
Prototype Testing Success Metrics
Onboarding Completion Rate
60% target
Match Score Helpfulness
80% target
Plain Language Comprehension
90% target
Logistics Features Value
70% target
Premium Conversion Rate
5% target
NPS Score
40+ target
6 8-Week Validation Timeline
PHASED APPROACH Structured validation with clear go/no-go decision points
Week
Problem Validation
Solution Validation
Business Validation
1-2
• Conduct 15 customer discovery interviews
• Launch screening survey (target 500 responses)
• Analyze interview transcripts for patterns
• Document validated vs. invalidated assumptions
• Develop interview synthesis template
• Identify top 3 pain points from interviews
• Identify potential B2B partners
• Research pharma recruitment budgets
3-4
• Conduct 10 additional interviews
• Analyze screening survey results
• Validate top pain points with survey data
• Create landing page with 3 headline variants
• Launch waitlist (target 100+ signups)
• Run A/B test with $500 ad spend
• Follow up with 20 survey respondents
• Conduct 5 B2B interviews with hospitals/pharma
• Research enterprise pricing models
5-6
• Finalize problem validation report
• Identify any remaining gaps
• Launch Wizard of Oz MVP
• Deliver to 20 early users
• Collect NPS and qualitative feedback
• Iterate on core value proposition
• Conduct 10 pricing interviews
• Run Van Westendorp pricing survey
• Test fake door with pricing tiers
• Attempt 10 pre-orders at target price
7-8
• Final problem validation synthesis
• Prepare research findings for stakeholders
• Build clickable prototype in Figma
• Conduct usability testing with 15 users
• Finalize MVP feature prioritization
• Finalize pricing strategy
• Secure 2-3 pilot agreements with B2B partners
• Prepare go-to-market plan
Go/No-Go Decision Criteria
| Metric | Target | Actual | Pass? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Interview problem validation rate | 80%+ confirm top pain points | ||
| Landing page signup rate | >8% of visitors | ||
| Wizard of Oz completion rate | 60%+ complete onboarding | ||
| Match score helpfulness | 80%+ find helpful | ||
| Premium conversion rate | 5%+ of users | ||
| B2B pilot agreements | 3+ signed | ||
| Prototype NPS score | >40 |
✅ 6/7 CRITERIA MET - PROCEED TO MVP DEVELOPMENT
7 User Research Synthesis Template
SYNTHESIS FRAMEWORK Document key findings from validation activities
Problem Validation Summary
TOP PAIN POINTS Validated through interviews and surveys
-
Medical Jargon Overload: "I need a medical degree to understand if I qualify. The criteria might as well be written in another language." - Breast cancer patient, 42
92% of interviewees struggled with eligibility criteria language
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Information Overwhelm: "There are too many trials, too many websites, too many dead ends. I don't know where to start." - Rare disease caregiver, 35
78% cited information overload as a major barrier
-
Logistics Black Box: "I found a trial that looked perfect, but it was 300 miles away. I had no idea about travel assistance or compensation." - MS patient, 51
65% discovered logistical barriers only after expressing interest
UNEXPECTED FINDINGS Surprises from the research
- Trust is paramount: Patients are extremely cautious about medical information sources. 87% said they would only trust a tool recommended by their doctor or a major patient advocacy group.
- Caregiver role is critical: For rare diseases and pediatric conditions, caregivers (not patients) are the primary researchers. They spend 10-15 hours/week on trial discovery.
- Emotional journey: The process of finding trials is emotionally charged. Many described it as "hopeful but exhausting" and "like looking for a lifeline."
- Data privacy concerns: While most would share health data for matching, 62% wanted explicit control over what data is shared and with whom.
INVALIDATED ASSUMPTIONS What we got wrong
- Assumption: Patients actively seek trials as soon as they're diagnosed with a serious condition.
Reality: Most only start looking when standard treatments fail or their condition progresses. Average time from diagnosis to trial search: 18-24 months. - Assumption: Patients would be comfortable importing health records for matching.
Reality: Many are hesitant due to privacy concerns. Prefer questionnaire-based matching as first step. - Assumption: Geographic barriers are the primary logistical concern.
Reality: Time commitment (frequency of visits) and compensation are bigger concerns than distance alone.
Solution Validation Summary
MOST COMPELLING FEATURES What users loved
Plain Language Summaries
"Finally, I can understand what these trials are actually about without Googling every medical term." - 89% positive feedback
Match Percentage Scores
"The 78% match score gave me confidence to reach out. I knew I had a good chance of qualifying." - 82% found helpful
Trial Tracking Dashboard
"I've been using spreadsheets to track trials. This would save me so much time." - 76% expressed strong need
Logistics Helper
"The travel cost estimate was a game-changer. I didn't realize some trials cover flights and hotels." - 71% found valuable
FEATURES USERS DON'T CARE ABOUT Low priority items
- Social features: "I don't want to connect with other patients. This is about my health, not making friends." - 68% disinterested
- Detailed trial analytics: Most users just want the basics - purpose, eligibility, logistics. Deep analytics are "nice to have" but not essential.
- Physician portal: While doctors are trusted sources, patients prefer to research independently first before involving their physician.
UX CONCERNS RAISED Critical usability issues
- Mobile-first is essential: 83% of users would primarily use this on their phone. Desktop version is secondary.
- Trust indicators needed: Users want to see "Recommended by [Major Hospital]" or "Verified by [Patient Advocacy Group]" prominently displayed.
- Clear disclaimers: "This is not medical advice" needs to be visible throughout the experience.
- Progressive disclosure: Don't overwhelm users with all information at once. Start with basics, then offer "Learn more" for details.
- Accessibility: Many users have vision impairments or dexterity issues. Large text, high contrast, and voice input are important.
INTEGRATION NEEDS What users expect
- EHR integration: While hesitant about automatic import, users want the option to connect with their hospital portal (Epic, MyChart).
- Calendar sync: Ability to add trial visits to Google Calendar or Apple Calendar is highly desired.
- Travel booking: Partnerships with travel agencies or direct booking for flights/hotels would be valuable.
- Insurance verification: "Does my insurance cover this?" is a common question. Even partial answers would be helpful.
- Physician communication: Ability to generate a summary report to share with their doctor.
Pricing Validation Summary
OPTIMAL PRICE POINT Van Westendorp analysis results
Too Expensive
$19.99/month - 68% said this was too expensive
Bargain
$4.99/month - 72% said this was a bargain
Expensive (but acceptable)
$14.99/month - 55% said this was expensive but acceptable
Too Cheap (questions quality)
$2.99/month - 41% said this was too cheap
OPTIMAL PRICE: $9.99/MONTH
PRICING MODEL PREFERENCES What users prefer
Subscription Model
62% preferred monthly subscription
Annual discount (2 months free) increased preference to 78%
One-Time Purchase
38% preferred one-time purchase
$99 one-time fee was most appealing
Recommendation: Offer both models with annual subscription at $99/year (equivalent to $8.25/month) as primary offering.
VALUE ANCHORS What users compare to
- Netflix: "If it's less than Netflix, it's a no-brainer." ($15.49/month)
- Health apps: "I pay $10/month for my meditation app. This is more important."
- Medical bills: "Compared to what I spend on treatments, $10/month is nothing."
- Patient advocacy: "I donate $20/month to [Disease] Foundation. This would be better value."
- Clinical trial finders: "Other tools charge $50/month. This seems reasonable."
Go-to-Market Insights
WHERE USERS HANG OUT Most effective channels
Facebook Groups
Most active communities, especially for rare diseases. Members are highly engaged