FORWARD

New software helps rheumatic disease databank create complex surveys to conduct research.

Case Study

Improved patient survey engine advances rheumatology research

Overview

FORWARD, The National Databank for Rheumatic Diseases, is the largest patient-reported research databank United States. The organization’s mission over the last 20 years has been to advance research and discovery through human connection and deep insight. Studies have shown that patients who enroll in a registry live longer than those who do not. Their survey and platform collects data on rheumatic diseases directly from people who have these problems. The goal of the project is to advance knowledge about the causes, outcomes, costs, treatments, and results of treatments related to rheumatic conditions.
Business

Challenge

Collecting data from a registry with tens of thousands of patients is at the heart of FORWARD's mission. FORWARD's researchers use this data for the betterment of those suffering with rheumatic conditions. Surveying this population through the web is the primary source of FORWARD's data, but the organization's aged data gathering software was holding it back. One primary issue was the lack of configurability: it required a developer to make changes to FORWARD's surveys. And if making survey changes was hard, then implementing a new survey was a herculean effort. Using an off-the-shelf survey tool was not an option as FORWARD's survey is very complex. This complexity is driven by the use of question skip patterns, defaulting data from the last survey the patient completed, and the use of response types that are custom to healthcare and rheumatic diseases.
FORWARD
IMPLEMENTED

Solution

Volano did a deep dive into FORWARD's business and technology challenges. We worked to build a technology roadmap that would allow the organization to move forward at a pace where system changes would not be overwhelming but would be brisk enough to have impact. This roadmap was driven by objectives, priorities, and budget. Goal number one was to implement a new survey engine to make FORWARD's market research tools serviceable through the user interface, not code. This had to be done without impact to the downstream data processing. We built a survey tool that is now administered by the operations staff. Surveys can be cloned or created, edited, and archived without IT being involved. We did this without changing the existing data architecture and associated legacy systems.
OBJECTIVES & KEY RESULTS

Outcome

FORWARD's administrative staff has been able to conduct its bi-annual market research with a comprehensive tool that has a modern, intuitive user interface. When 2020 arrived, they were able to quickly create a new survey without new code. This was a first for them because Volano made their business more nimble and more efficient.
Custom Software DevelopmentDatabase ManagementProduct UI UX Design
FORWARD

Solving challenges is best done with a team.

Whether a small project or a large scale adoption, we have handled it all. Choose the path best for your schedule.

402-934-3733

Send a Message

Let us know about your project details and we'll get back in touch.

Let's Start

Schedule a Call

Better on the phone? Schedule a video call or phone call with our sales team.

Find a Time

About Us

Team

Values

Culture

Careers

Services

Our Work

FAQs

Insights

Our Products

Dealer Portal

ActionCard

Contact Us