Pediatric Liver Transplant Health Advocate Role

Background and Challenge

Pediatric liver transplant outcomes continue to be shaped by racial and socioeconomic disparities, leaving many families without equitable care. Health Advocates (HAs)—non-clinical team members connecting patients to medical and social resources—have the potential to reduce these gaps, but what exactly would this role look like in practice?

SOM Tech partnered with Dr. Wadhwani to explore this question. Using human-centered design, we engaged caregivers and transplant practitioners to uncover needs, identify challenges, and shape a Health Advocate intervention tailored to support families post-transplant.

Co-Creating Solutions with Caregivers and Transplant Practitioners

Before conducting workshops, we reviewed qualitative interview transcripts from the research team and spoke with a pilot HA to extract key insights and define focus areas.

We ran three participatory workshops with caregivers from across the U.S., combining brainstorming, role-play, and sorting and ranking exercises to surface priorities. A workshop with transplant practitioners helped validate caregiver insights, address practical concerns, and ensure alignment with clinical realities.

Visualizing the Health Advocate’s Impact

From these sessions, we synthesized design principles that guided the intervention. Five storyboard scenarios illustrated where a Health Advocate could have the greatest impact: connecting families to resources, managing appointments, communicating with schools, providing support and counseling, and bridging cultural differences. Storyboards were shared back with caregivers and practitioners to gather feedback and refine the scenarios further.

Mapping How the Intervention Works

Supporting Health Advocates in Action

Building on insights from the Service Map, we developed a Health Advocate Toolkit, equipping HAs with practical guidance to carry out their roles effectively and consistently.