Healthcare | Katharine Johnston

Understanding and Influencing Value Based Care

EXPLORE

As the U.S. population continues to age and increasingly depends on Medicare Part C, Part D, and pharmacy services, it is essential for clinicians to understand and implement value-based care principles. This sample highlights two courses within a broader five-part training series:

The first course provides an overview of Medicare measures framed through a value-based care lens, emphasizing how these metrics influence clinical decision making and patient outcomes.

The second course explores behavioral change strategies and incentive design to promote best practices among providers and care teams.

Together, these modules contribute to a comprehensive educational initiative aimed at equipping clinicians with the knowledge and tools necessary to navigate evolving healthcare delivery models.

Responsibilities: Brand Kit, Content Developer, Instructional Designer
Target Audience: Clinical partners in a value based care setting (predominately large hospital networks or ancillary service centers)
Tools: Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Creative Cloud, Canva, Storyline 360, Copilot, Storyline 360 AI features and tools
Budget: high
Year: 2025

Background

As an instructional designer with Optum, I collaborated with the Office of Provider Advancement and regional medical leadership to develop a five-part training series focused on key components of value-based care. The curriculum addressed the following topics: Medicare Part C, Medicare Part D, Medicare pharmacy measures, STAR ratings, CAHPS and HOS surveys, and additional value-based care metrics.

This example highlights two courses from the five-part series, representative of the instructional work I produced during my tenure at Optum. The content presented in these modules was sourced from publicly available platforms, including Medicare.gov, CMS.gov (Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services), HealthCare.gov, and publicly accessible insurer materials from Humana, UnitedHealthcare, and Aetna.

To enrich the training with behavioral insights, I incorporated concepts from The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg, accessed through public library resources. This supplemental material supported the integration of behavioral economics into the instructional design, particularly in areas related to provider engagement and incentive structures.

Brand Kit

Exploring Visual Identity

Creating the fictional Johnston Medical Group meant that I needed to create a brand kit for visual storytelling and cohesion. I began by researching color theory and color symbolism. I choose the following colors based on this research.

Orange: for youth, health, enthusiasm, hospitality, joy and optimism
Dark Blue: easier to view on screen for long periods versus black which can be hard to view visually for long period of time in contrast to white or beige backgrounds
Light Blue: compliments the dark blue, symbolized trust and clarity
Maroon: symbolizes confidence, strength, and ambition, complementary to orange
Off White: used as background color- easier to read then classic white on a digital display

For fonts, I choose Apple Garamond as this is an easy-to-read font. The font harkens back to Apple in the late 1980’s-1990’s and the nostalgia of the font would be recognizable to the target audience. The font is easy to read, simple in its design, and can be easily read by assistive technology.

For graphics, I used Canva Pro. The pictures selected in the learnings show adults from various different background performing different roles. Time was taken in selecting imagery that would be free of bias and would show all types of people in a variety of clinical roles. Graphics were chosen for their simplicity as the subject matter is dense.

Designing the Module

To effectively engage clinicians, I tailored the learning module to match their preferred learning styles. Physicians, given their rigorous academic backgrounds, tend to absorb information best when it’s presented in a format similar to their medical training. They’re accustomed to making decisions based on concise, bulleted content and high-quality visuals—so I structured the module to reflect that. The layout followed academic conventions and was designed to feel like a professional presentation.

Understanding that time is a critical factor for this audience, I built the module for flexibility. Navigation controls were placed at the bottom of the screen to support self-paced learning, allowing users to move through the content quickly and efficiently. I also added an audio narration option, recognizing that many physicians prefer to listen while multitasking—whether between appointments or during administrative tasks.

This module is part of a broader five-part curriculum, and serves as the second section in the learning path. To maintain continuity and avoid redundancy, I excluded assessments and review sections from this module, as those are included at the end of the full course.

In terms of tone and delivery, I kept the language clear, concise, and optimistic—aiming to make the content approachable and respectful of the learner’s expertise. The module was designed to be completed in approximately 15 minutes, balancing depth with efficiency.

Takeaways

Before joining Optum, my only exposure to healthcare was as a patient. I had never considered the behind the scenes operations that support clinical care. While developing learning modules for Optum, I had to quickly get up to speed on how clinical partners are engaged from a business perspective. This experience gave me a new appreciation for the complexity of the healthcare system and the intense demands placed on clinical professionals.

I learned about the structure and requirements of Medicare Part C (Medicare Advantage), Part D (prescription drug coverage), and pharmacy benefit programs; areas I previously knew little about. Understanding how these programs influence patient care and provider responsibilities was eye opening. The qualifications and compliance standards that providers must meet are extensive and often challenging. This project gave me a deep respect for the dedication and resilience of clinical teams.

From an instructional design standpoint, this experience reshaped how I approach course development. I realized that effective learning isn’t about creating what I personally find interesting or visually appealing—it’s about designing content that truly serves the learner. These modules were built with the end user in mind, tailored to fit seamlessly into their daily workflows and support their real-world needs.