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Chronic Condition Patient Journey
Research methodology and patient insights from our study
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Chronic Condition Patient Journey

Why This Research

Currently, TeleClinic is for most of our users a service for acute needs. But we want to become a continuous care partner.

That’s why we wanted to understand friction and emotional burden across our chronic care framework:

Unawareness → Prevention → Diagnosis → Management → Acute / Flare-up

All interviews were structured to learn about each phase.

Focus Conditions

We focused on conditions that are high-prevalence, high-impact, and require ongoing management — making them ideal to study where TeleClinic can add value as a continuous care partner:

Hypertension Gut Health (IBS, Crohn’s) Female Health Mental Health
Interview Setup
Non-TeleClinic Users Complete

Interviewed adults 18–70+, with a mix of younger and older chronic patients. (Interview guideline)

17 interviews total (with overlaps in conditions):

  • 5 Hypertension
  • 4 Gut Health (IBS, Crohn’s, UC)
  • 5 Female Health (Endo, PCOS, Menopause)
  • 5 Mental Health (Panic, Anxiety, Depression, Insomnia)
  • 2 Other (Rheuma, Immune Deficiency)

Due to cost/workload we cut down from the initially planned 8 interviews per condition.

TeleClinic Partner Doctors Complete

5 TeleClinic partner doctors treating chronic patients across different specialties. (Interview guideline)

  • General practice / internal medicine (hypertension, multimorbidity)
  • Psychiatry / psychotherapy (depression, anxiety, insomnia)
  • Gynecology / endocrinology (PCOS, endometriosis, menopause)

Goals:

  • How they organise chronic care today (in-person, digital, hybrid)
  • Where they see breaks in continuity and patient drop-offs
  • Their view on when TeleClinic is helpful vs. limiting
  • What they would need to confidently manage long-term patients
  • Why most doctors prefer sick-note cases over specialist cases
TeleClinic Users On Hold

Currently on hold — we want to interview a bigger group of users using an AI interview. (Interview guideline)

We want to understand:

  • Where TeleClinic is already reducing friction
  • Where TeleClinic users still experience the same chronic-care problems

Likely to go live this week due to legal problems we had to solve.

Synthesis & Access
All findings are being synthesized and shared in NotebookLM and Confluence for transparency and team access.

The following journey map synthesizes all patient and doctor interviews into an interactive experience. Click through the three phases to explore pain points, emotional patterns, and the initiatives we’re building to address them.

1 of 4
TeleClinic - Chronic Care Research Synthesis
Patient Base Lens
Diagnosis Phase
The active search for the cause of symptoms through testing and consultation to identify the specific medical condition.
View Persona →
Sarah
Name
Sarah
Archetype
The Exhausted Investigator
Age
28 years old
Profession
Graphic Designer
Condition
Endometriosis / Chronic Pain
Sarah
Sarah has suffered from severe menstrual cramps and pelvic pain since her early twenties. After years of being dismissed by GPs, she is actively searching for the root cause but faces a fragmented medical system where specialists only look at isolated symptoms.
User Journey and Empowerment Level
😊 Empowered
😐 Neutral
😟 Overwhelmed
First symptoms
Initial awareness of something being wrong
Patient Impact
PDPP-12 →
Doctor Impact
PDPP-20 →
Self-Diagnosis via AI
"Because doctors fail to connect the dots, patients are forced to turn to AI self-diagnosis, which often leads to anxiety but provides necessary impulses"
Patient Impact
PDPP-12 →
Doctor Impact
PDPP-20 →
Medical Dismissal & Misdiagnosis
"Severe symptoms are often downplayed or dangerously misdiagnosed"
Patient Impact
PDPP-16 →
Doctor Impact
PDPP-22 →
Isolated symptoms / Silo diagnostic burden
"We know that patients suffer from diagnostic journeys where specialists only look at isolated organs"
Patient Impact
PDPP-19 →
Doctor Impact
PDPP-25 →
Multi-year diagnostic journey burden
"Patients suffer through multi-year, highly fragmented diagnostic journeys"
Patient Impact
PDPP-17 →
Doctor Impact
PDPP-25 →
The Wait-Time and Lack of Interim Support
"Standard specialist appointments take weeks to schedule, rendering them entirely useless for acute, unpredictable flare-ups"
Patient Impact
PDPP-14 →
Doctor Impact
PDPP-25 →
Diagnosis confirmed
Finally getting answers, but uncertain about next steps
Patient Impact
PDPP-15 →
Doctor Impact
PDPP-26 →
Mental overload of Newly Diagnosed
"Newly diagnosed patients receive a name for their condition but lack a concrete, day-to-day roadmap for what happens next which causes severe mental burden"
Patient Impact
PDPP-15 →
Doctor Impact
PDPP-26 →
Patients feel gaslit
"Chronic patients carry a profound 'Personal Burden' characterized by medical trauma from past gaslighting (e.g., being dismissed by doctors despite severe symptoms)"
Patient Impact
PDPP-3 →
Doctor Impact
PDPP-23 →
Need for before and after diagnosis guidance
"To drive retention, we must provide orientation for beginners moving towards navigating, rather than simply letting them be overwhelmed"
Patient Impact
PDPP-7 →
Doctor Impact
PDPP-25 →
End of diagnosis
Moving toward management phase with increased understanding
Personalized Chronic Journey
Implement a 'Your Health Journey' feature with personalized roadmap
Details →
BigBet
Supporting Doctors with AI-Based Diagnosis
Build automated diagnostic AI for holistic chronic condition view
Details →
BigBet
Expert Specialist Teams
Establish dedicated specialist teams for 24/7 patient guidance
Details →
BigBet
Contextual AI Patient Assistant
Deploy AI assistant for pre/post-consultation support
Details →
BigBet
Consent for Sharing Patient History
Implement transparent, benefit-first consent screen
Details →
QuickWin
The Quick Help Entry Point
Implement a simplified, one-tap 'Help Me Decide' flow
Details →
QuickWin
The Diagnostic Fast-Track / Second Opinion
Launch a 'Diffuse Symptom Review' slug with guaranteed specialist consultation
Details →
QuickWin
Ready-for-Care Onboarding
Implement a document intake flow during or after account creation
Details →
QuickWin
Management Phase
Ongoing treatment and lifestyle adjustment to manage chronic condition and minimize symptom impact on daily life.
View Persona →
Tom
Name
Tom
Archetype
The Overwhelmed Tracker
Age
35 years old
Profession
IT Consultant
Condition
IBS + ADHD
Tom
Tom was diagnosed with IBS two years ago and manages ADHD alongside it. He tries to track symptoms but finds the manual effort unsustainable between work deadlines. Frustrated by repetitive triage questions and the bureaucratic loop of getting prescriptions refilled.
User Journey and Empowerment Level
😊 Empowered
😐 Neutral
😟 Overwhelmed
Stable baseline
Beginning of management phase with established diagnosis
Patient Impact
PDPP-2 →
Doctor Impact
PDPP-25 →
Fear of Side Effects
"Patients endure severe side effects"
Patient Impact
PDPP-5 →
Doctor Impact
PDPP-23 →
Analog Bureaucracy Loop
"Patients despise the multi-step, physical processes required for routine refills"
Patient Impact
PDPP-18 →
Doctor Impact
PDPP-27 →
Repetitive Questions reduce value of TC
"Chronic patients find the repetitive triage questionnaires on telemedicine platforms deeply frustrating and alienating"
Patient Impact
PDPP-6 →
Doctor Impact
PDPP-25 →
High Cost and Low Efficacy
"Patients endure high out-of-pocket costs but often experience minimal symptom relief, leading them to question the treatment"
Patient Impact
PDPP-2 →
Doctor Impact
PDPP-24 →
Unsustainable Tracking / Documentation Effort
"For long-term or high-frequency symptoms, patients abandon tracking because the manual effort outweighs the clinical benefit"
Patient Impact
PDPP-8 →
Doctor Impact
PDPP-20 →
Stable period returns
Medication working, symptoms under control, gaining confidence
Patient Impact
PDPP-13 →
Doctor Impact
PDPP-26 →
Burden of Lifestyle Modifications
"Making massive lifestyle changes (quitting sugar, alcohol, or gluten) is the biggest 'game changer' but comes with severe emotional and physical withdrawal"
Patient Impact
PDPP-13 →
Doctor Impact
PDPP-25 →
Psychological burden in disease management
"Severe functional impairment in gut health and other disease drives a massive psychological burden"
Patient Impact
PDPP-4 →
Doctor Impact
PDPP-25 →
Need For Holistic Medical Care
"Patients suffer through multi-year diagnostic journeys where doctors only look at isolated symptoms, forcing patients to use ChatGPT"
Patient Impact
PDPP-1 →
Doctor Impact
PDPP-20 →
Ongoing management
Sustained treatment with periods of stability and adaptation
Chronic Patient Timeline
Develop patient-facing timeline with AI summaries
Details →
BigBet
Integrate with Labs & Diagnostic Partners
Build integrations / API with German diagnostic firms
Details →
BigBet
Single Source of Truth for Patient Record
Centralize all external patient data into single view
Details →
BigBet
Personalized Well-being Diary
Build dynamic diary with tailored check-ins
Details →
BigBet
Automate Patient Data Collection from Devices
Build integrations with health-tracking wearables
Details →
BigBet
TC Care Companion (Coach)
Launch 'Companion' service with proactive messaging
Details →
BigBet
One-Click Prescription Refills (TC Verified)
Implement 'Request Refill' feature for established diagnoses
Details →
QuickWin
Comprehensive Health Profile
Implement a document vault for medical history
Details →
QuickWin
Enhanced Data Visualization
Display health metrics against medical standards
Details →
QuickWin
AI Interview Agent for Condition tracking
Deploy AI assistant for proactive symptom documentation
Details →
QuickWin
Flare-Up / Acute Phase
Sudden worsening of symptoms or acute crisis episodes that disrupt daily life and require urgent intervention and support.
View Persona →
Elena
Name
Elena
Archetype
The Disrupted Worker
Age
42 years old
Profession
Shift Worker (Nurse)
Condition
Diverticulitis
Elena
Elena works rotating hospital shifts and manages diverticulitis with diet and medication. Flare-ups strike unpredictably during shifts, forcing her to endure extreme pain while caring for patients. She avoids the ER because sitting in a waiting room feels pointless and exhausting.
User Journey and Empowerment Level
😊 Empowered
😐 Neutral
😟 Overwhelmed
Warning signs appear
Joint stiffness increasing, fatigue returning
Patient Impact
PDPP-10 →
Doctor Impact
PDPP-22 →
Complete Loss of Functional Control
"Acute episodes strike unpredictably, forcing patients to endure extreme physical distress while trying to maintain a facade of normalcy"
Patient Impact
PDPP-10 →
Doctor Impact
PDPP-24 →
Crisis point
Severe symptoms peak, maximum overwhelm and uncertainty
Patient Impact
PDPP-11 →
Doctor Impact
PDPP-22 →
Ineffective Band-Aid Treatments
"When patients do manage to secure an acute appointment, they frequently receive generic solutions that fail to address the core crisis"
Patient Impact
PDPP-11 →
Doctor Impact
PDPP-25 →
Isolation and self-diagnosis
Turning to online sources for answers during crisis, increased anxiety
Patient Impact
PDPP-12 →
Doctor Impact
PDPP-20 →
Patients avoid emergency visits
"When acute symptoms escalate outside regular office hours, patients actively avoid seeking emergency care because sitting in an ER is perceived as exhausting"
Patient Impact
PDPP-9 →
Doctor Impact
PDPP-25 →
Turning point
Critical moment where intervention is needed most
Seeking care through TC
Patient finally reaches out for professional support via TeleClinic
Patient Impact
PDPP-25 →
Doctor Impact
PDPP-22 →
Band-aid without continuity
Temporary relief but no follow-up or long-term strategy
Patient Impact
PDPP-25 →
Doctor Impact
PDPP-25 →
Slow recovery begins
Gradual stabilization as symptoms subside over days/weeks
Patient Impact
PDPP-4 →
Doctor Impact
PDPP-25 →
Return to baseline
Crisis resolved but fear of next flare-up remains
Flare-Up Acute App Mode
Build 'Acute State' UI overlay with daily status checks
Details →
BigBet
Proactive Pattern Detection & Alerting
Build algorithmic 'Pattern Watcher' with push alerts
Details →
BigBet
AI-Driven Gamified Self-Checks
Implement gamified monitoring system with rewards
Details →
BigBet
Dedicated Category for Shared Patient Communication
Implement 'Doctor Collaboration' portal
Details →
BigBet
App for every chronic condition
Develop modular platform with condition-specific apps
Details →
BigBet
Flare-Up Routing
Implement 'Emergency/Flare-Up' slug with Infermedica
Details →
QuickWin
TC in the ER Diversion (Notaufnahme)
Partner with hospital for Digital Care stations
Details →
QuickWin
Age
Profession
Condition
Phase
Patient Base data from post-treatment survey sent to all non-sick-note users · ~1,000 responses collected (2–23 March 2026) · 100% Gold attribution match
Phase 1 of 3
Submitted Questions