Bobby Zhao
Product Designer
Amphi
Amphi
Advancing Health System Decision Making
Advancing Health System Decision Making
Position
Co-Founder & Lead Designer
Time
2024-25
Keywords
Health Information Management / System Design/
B2G SaaS / Public Health Financing
Amphi is a B2G digital health solution I co-founded at Harvard Innovation Lab. The software helps low income-countries develop national health service plans to improve health outcomes and increase access to care.
Amphi is a B2G digital health solution I co-founded at Harvard Innovation Lab. The software helps low income-countries develop national health service plans to improve health outcomes and increase access to care.
5
Established Partnerships
Established Partnerships
1
Pilot Country
Pilot Country
10
LOIs
LOIs
1
MVP
Krygyz Health
Insurance Fund
Krygyz Health
Insurance Fund
My Role
My Role
As the co-founder and product lead of Amphi, I developed product strategy and defined MVP features, created design assets/system for marketing and pitches, conducted research and designed the solution end-to-end.
As the co-founder and product lead of Amphi, I developed product strategy and defined MVP features, created design assets/system for marketing and pitches, conducted research and designed the solution end-to-end.
Team
Team
Charlie Nederpelt, MD
Physician-researcher with 5+ years in health systems research and reform, including priority setting, social health insurance, cost and impact modeling
Charlie Nederpelt, MD
Robert Zhao
Human-centered product designer, previously experienced in service and system design at CVS Health and design consultancies
Robert Zhao
Manoj Nathwani
Language-agnostic full stack developer. 15+ Years of building highly scalable cloud products for UNAIDS, Ministries of Health and health systems
Manoj Nathwani
Impact
Impact
Our testing on Service Validation (1 service/controlled and experimental group) showed 80% increase in workflow completion speed.
Our testing on Service Validation (1 service/controlled and experimental group) showed 80% increase in workflow completion speed.
14 Months
Projected increase in planning efficiency per cycle
14 Months
Projected increase in planning efficiency per cycle
$220,000
Potential Savings from External Consultants
$220,000
Potential Savings from External Consultants
Background
Background
For developing countries, healthcare reforms are often needed but unfulfilled due to challenges in strategizing and implementation.
For developing countries, healthcare reforms are often needed but unfulfilled due to challenges in strategizing and implementation.
The WHO reports 4.5 billion people lack access to essential health services.
The WHO reports 4.5 billion people lack access to essential health services.
The WHO reports 4.5 billion people lack access to essential health services.
Low-income countries spend only $30 of annual spending on healthcare per person.
Low-income countries spend only $30 of annual spending on healthcare per person.
Low-income countries spend only $30 of annual spending on healthcare per person.
It takes countries average 2-3 years to determine how to spend their health budget.
It takes countries average 2-3 years to determine how to spend their health budget.
It takes countries average 2-3 years to determine how to spend their health budget.
Problem
Problem
For low-income countries, planning and implementing national health budget is technically complex and time-consuming due to a few core factors:
For low-income countries, planning and implementing national health budget is technically complex and time-consuming due to a few core factors:
01
Limited
Local Expertise
02
Disjointed Health
Data
03
Lack of Transparency
04
Time-
Consuming
05
Vague
Guidance
03
Lack of Transparency
04
Time-
Consuming
05
Vague
Guidance
Solution Quickview
Solution Quickview
We offer an information management software to efficiently and effectively inform health policies and improve the budget development process.
We offer an information management software to efficiently and effectively inform health policies and improve the budget development process.
Tailored Workflow
Tailored Workflow
Tailored Workflow
Users are able to customize workflows and health goals to fit team composition, national values and political reality
Users are able to customize workflows and health goals to fit team composition, national values and political reality
Users are able to customize workflows and health goals to fit team composition, national values and political reality
Features:
Progress Tracking
Visibility of Data Completion Rate
Precision Estimates
Precision Estimates
Precision Estimates
Utilize local data to inform decision-making, with dynamic data visibility and transparency
Utilize local data to inform decision-making, with dynamic data visibility and transparency
Features:
Progress Tracking
Visibility of Data Completion Rate
Data Clarity
Data Clarity
Data Clarity
Result data can be deconstructed for thorough and disciplined review processes
Result data can be deconstructed for thorough and disciplined review processes
Features:
Progress Tracking
Visibility of Data Completion Rate
Health Infrastructure Integration
Health Infrastructure Integration
Health Infrastructure Integration
Users are able to customize workflows and health goals to fit team composition, national values and political reality
Users are able to customize workflows and health goals to fit team composition, national values and political reality
Users are able to customize workflows and health goals to fit team composition, national values and political reality
Users are able to customize workflows and health goals to fit team composition, national values and political reality
My Process
My Process
Discover
Features Definition
The complexity of building a B2G health financing platform required me to meet frequently with a public health expert and target users to understand the problem landscape and the user journey.
The complexity of building a B2G health financing platform required me to meet frequently with a public health expert and target users to understand the problem landscape and the user journey.
Project Definition
My discovery meetings with my co-founders helped me define the problem/market need, as well as the product vision
Project Definition
My discovery meetings with my co-founders helped me define the problem/market need, as well as the product vision
Project Definition
My discovery meetings with my co-founders helped me define the problem/market need, as well as the product vision
User Interview
I interviewed target users and public health professionals, and documented their workflow and pain points
User Interview
I interviewed target users and public health professionals, and documented their workflow and pain points
User Interview
I interviewed target users and public health professionals, and documented their workflow and pain points
Product Requirement
A major part of our value proposition is the built-in cost estimation model and guidance system, which required me to gather requirements to break down the complexity
Product Requirement
A major part of our value proposition is the built-in cost estimation model and guidance system, which required me to gather requirements to break down the complexity
Product Requirement
A major part of our value proposition is the built-in cost estimation model and guidance system, which required me to gather requirements to break down the complexity
Benchmark
Despite not having direct competitor platform in our SOM, I examined similar solutions in the TAM to help me understand industry standards and possible opportunities
Benchmark
Despite not having direct competitor platform in our SOM, I examined similar solutions in the TAM to help me understand industry standards and possible opportunities
Benchmark
Despite not having direct competitor platform in our SOM, I examined similar solutions in the TAM to help me understand industry standards and possible opportunities
Current
Workflow
(Manual)
Features Definition
I mapped out the existing workflow for a national health planning period (lasts about a fiscal year) based on user interview and identified 3 three major pain points:
I mapped out the existing workflow for a national health planning period (lasts about a fiscal year) based on user interview and identified 3 three major pain points:
Design Goal
Design Challenges
Bureaucratic Complexity
The national health service planning workflow is convoluted and esoteric
Bureaucratic Complexity
The national health service planning workflow is convoluted and esoteric
Documentation + Categorization
I documented all workflows and broke them down into categories and steps
Documentation + Categorization
I documented all workflows and broke them down into categories and steps
Solution Information Overload
Prior to me joining the venture, my co-founder had an excel prototype with hundreds of pages of financial models. User testing expressed confusions and visual fatigue from a lack of guidance and information hierarchy.
Solution Information Overload
Prior to me joining the venture, my co-founder had an excel prototype with hundreds of pages of financial models. User testing expressed confusions and visual fatigue from a lack of guidance and information hierarchy.
Streamlined Functionalities
Based on the functional hierarchy, I compartmentalize workflows into more manageable small features.
Streamlined Functionalities
Based on the functional hierarchy, I compartmentalize workflows into more manageable small features.
Features
Definition
Features Definition
The MVP features prioritize health data collection, management, analysis and evaluation
The MVP features prioritize health data collection, management, analysis and evaluation
End Users
I broke down the end users into 2 major groups based on interaction mode (edit vs. view only) across the high level workflow:
1
The Steering Committee
These are the decision-makers appointed by government officials. They define goals and criterias at the beginning of the national health service plan development, and lead the service prioritization process in the end to finalize the national health plan.
2
Technical Working Group
These are the public health professionals employed by the government. They spend the most time on our platform to collect and input health data needed for health service analysis and evaluation.
User Flow
High Level Workflow
The new user flow follows the same major steps as the existing manual workflow. Steering committee users set up configurations based on national/political value then hand off to technical working group
Submit
Submit
Onboarding (Process Design)
Onboarding (Process Design)
Cost Estimation
Cost Estimation
Service Package Selection
Steering Committee
Technical Working Group
3-4 weeks
1-2 weeks
(1-2 weeks)
6-9 months
(6-9 months)
(3-4 weeks)
Onboarding (Steering Committee Workflow)
The onboarding configuration will determine how health services are ranked in the Service Prioritization process.
Cost Validation (TWG Workflow)
I broke down the end users into 2 major groups based on interaction mode (edit vs. view only) across the high level workflow:
Service Validation
Design Guide
Design Guide
