CVS Wound Care

Spring 2018 | senior DESIGN STRATEGIST & ENGAGEMENT Lead AT CONTINUUM

Objective

There is a  staggering impact of wounds on the U.S. healthcare system and the landscape is shifting toward self-treatment. CVS sees addressing the growing consumer demand as key to winning as the self-care destination. National brands have been lagging in innovation in the wound care aisle, both in the last five years and in their future pipeline. With the CVS store brand representing the vast majority of the category, CVS saw an opportunity to innovate in the category that leading brands have not been. CVS partnered with Continuum to elevate the shopping experience so it’s informative, solution-based, and promotes the best healing outcome.

Research & Insights

During Learning, we speak with Lead Users, those with more extreme and chronic cases, to uncover insights. Lead Users are more articulate about the subject matter—they think about it more and they are actively engaged in the category. Lead Users already have created their own ‘work-arounds’ to meet their needs. The insights that are synthesized from the more extreme, chronic cases can be used to create solutions that work for both the lead and everyday user. All of our opportunity areas take these more extreme cases into account, but ladder them up to create opportunities that work for the everyday CVS consumer.

nurses

9 1-hour, in-office interviews; mix of ER, OR, and Wound Care RNs; mix of community and large research hospitals

1. Returning To Normal
   The most common question nurses are asked is “when can I return to _____?” Consumers want to return to their lifestyle from before the wound.

2. Language Is Critical
   Language is confusing (i.e. moisture, clean), but critical. Many consumers think in black-and-white terms. Consumers don’t understand how everyday language translates to wound care. 

3. The Best Dressing
   When dressings impede life or are felt, they are a reminder of their existence. The best dressing is the one you don’t know is there. 

4. Clean Is Hard
   Keeping a wound clean is difficult in the realities of a home. Some patients don’t realize the importance of a clean environment, such as clean surfaces and supplies.

5. Different Stages of Healing
   Initial stages of treatment require the largest dressings that impact mobility. As the wound heals, the dressing becomes simpler. The different stages of healing require varying levels of care that impact daily life.

6. Changing Frequency
   Consumers change their wound to “prevent infection” (changing too often), check on progress, or ignore the reality of their wound (not frequently enough). Without a routine, some consumers may change their dressing too frequently or not enough.

consumers & caregivers

12 2-hour, in-home interviews; mix of chronic wounds and surgical wounds requiring daily dressing changes; mix of urban and suburban

1. An Emotional Journey
   Consumers are sidelined by reduced mobility, not showering, pain, and ‘do nots.’ By being unable to engage in usual social activities, wounds are an emotional journey due to isolation.

2. No Definitive Source
   Most people are piecing together information on how to care for their wound. In self-care, there is no definitive source for consumers to go to on treating their wound.

3. "Common Sense"
   Some define good wound care as “common sense,” while others are lost. Everyone has different baselines of “common sense,” that may be wrong, based on their prior experience with managing wounds. 

4. Compromising Healing
   Some compromise healing progress in order to get through the day. The biggest struggle with wound care is balancing protecting the wound from daily life.

5. Subjective Assessment
   Regular assessment is important to ensure the wound is healing properly. Wound care requires subjective assessments around moisture, visuals, and smell. Consumers are bad at subjective assessments.

6. Infection
   The biggest concern for everyone is the wound becoming infected. Consumers know the consequence of infection but not all can accurately assess their wound for it.

7. "Gauze is Gauze"
   Many consumers didn’t see the value of buying more expensive gauze, adhesive pads, or non-stick pads. For products seen as ‘passive’ components in wound healing, consumers look for products that are easy to apply and let them live their life. 

8. Feedback On Process
   Wound care supplies are basic products that rely on process and technique. Consumers want or need feedback to know they are following the right process with dressing changing.

9. Self-Care
   Many rely on a family member of visiting nurse to help them with severe or hard to reach wounds, if they have the resources. Most consumers want or need to manage their wounds themselves.

10. Progress Tracking
    Consumers tracked progress through photos to see how far they have come. Consumers want to know their wound is healing to stay motivated.

store visits

Employee interviews (6 Store Managers, 2 Front Store Employees, 6 Pharmacists/Techs, 1 Clinic RN); observation; intercepts

1. Consumers Look to Pharmacists
   Consumers go to pharmacists for advice, who are not qualified to give it. Pharmacists were lacking informational resources. Many defaulted to WebMD or Google to give recommendations on products.

2. Recommending Best Value
   Staff never force a decision, but point out baseline items or store brands to customers when possible. Employees and pharmacists look out for customer’s best value.

3. Signage and Wayfinding Lost
   Street signs varied per store, and the 1-2-3 process was easily lost, or completely out of order. Category signage and wayfinding lacks consistency across stores.

4. Lack of Product / Shelf Understanding
   Some staff had never seen the 3 step process before, or lacked full understanding of what advanced product offerings. Employees, like customers, don’t have an understanding of products or shelf organization.

5. Revise Category Versioning
   Over-indexing stores held limited wound care selection, while stores in economically depressed areas boasted a full selection of high end products. Versioning is not sensitive enough to specific store needs.

6. Trial & Error
   The first few purchasing trips end up being trial and error. Consumers are looking for items that are the right size for their wound, stay secure on their body, and are the right quantity for their healing time.

The Opportunities

Ideation & Evaluation

Mock-Ups

TESTING

90-minute, in-office interviews; mix of wound care novices, wound care pros, and 2 nurses

1. Convenience Drives Concept Preference
   Convenience is defined by reducing items to purchase, reducing choices to make at shelf, and reducing steps during the application process.

2. Defining "On-The-Go"
   Reducing time choosing and finding at shelf as well as item portability define on-the-go.

3. Consumers Lack Knowledge
   Consumers lack baseline knowledge of wound care (despite expressing confidence in product selection), reinforcing initial learning insights.

4. Shelf Navigation Starts With Product
   Consumers navigate the aisle by scanning individual products; consumers categorize based on product groupings. Color blocking effectively orients consumers to product groupings without needing to scan individual items. Signage is ignored.

5. Step Process Works Within System
   The treatment step process works well within a multi-item product (e.g. dressing packs), but doesn’t work on shelf as an organizing scheme.

6. Selecting the Right Product
   Product selection organized by wound is best for ensuring consumers know they are selecting the right products for their wound.

7. Lifestyle Influences Purchasing
   Mom wants to stock up, while those who live alone are hesitant to buy a whole box.

The Solution

We developed single dressing packs & weekly boxes to advise consumers on and guide consumers to the right product for their wounds and that is easy to apply correctly. The packs are organized by wound type to help guide people on what to buy and include all the items needed to properly dress a wound. Contents are clearly listed with the quantity and sizes of certain items. Instructions are written on the back in easy-to-understand language. Additionally, a statement on the back of the pack tells the consumer when they should be seeking medical attention. Week packs include seven kits are great for individuals with longer-healing wounds, or families stocking up.

The Result

CVS’s wound care-focused kit was launched in 2019. The five kits in the line include wound-care education about applying items found inside a trial kit, as well as a coupon for a discount on full-size products. In May, CVS Pharmacy followed up the wound care launch with a line focused on various consumer lifestyles. 

“First aid kits are an important part of our business to give consumers everything they need,” Brenda Lord, CVS Health vice president of store brands and quality assurance said. “With both lines we aimed to help the consumer avoid the trial and error that can come with treating an injury, and make it simple for them to get the products they need in a convenient product format.”