• by Larissa Faw , May 5, 2015

Although Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK) sees more than 130,000 patients each year, the cancer specialist's digital reach annually touches 5.3 million unique visitors from around the world. 

Now, in order to help connect with this expansive virtual audience, MSK and its Digital AOR DigitasLBi are introducing a complete overhaul of its digital footprint that includes www.mskcc.org (Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center) and www.sloankettering.edu (Louis V. Gerstner, Jr. Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center). 

From the home page, information is tailored to individual needs and interests, providing users with three distinct options for proceeding: Patient/Caregiver, Researcher, or Healthcare Professional. These pathways are supported with massive amounts of information. This refreshed Web presence features more than 20,000 pages of original content. 

This is the first work DigitasLBi has done for the brand since being named AOR last year. 

“Nearly 100 internal and external interviews helped us begin to understand the complex needs we had to address. From a recently diagnosed patient, who is overwhelmed and doesn’t know where to begin, to a postdoctoral researcher reviewing the latest biomedical studies, we needed to provide contextual and relevant next steps throughout the user’s journey on the site,” says Norman de Greve, president, DigitasLBi Boston/Detroit. “It was imperative to understand the audience’s mindset and provide a well-oiled, guided path, rather than an open-ended experience with too many options.”

In addition to improving the ease of navigation, DigitasLBi worked with MSK to redefine its visual brand identity through dynamic new photography displayed throughout the home page and segment landing pages, as well as in select disease guides. The combined effect of content, tone, and imagery, all tailored to individual user needs, serves to heighten the personalized experience, say agency executives. 

“Whether someone engages with us at one of our facilities or online, we want it to be a streamlined, positive experience that is relevant, informative and tailored to what they need,” said Avice Meehan, senior vice president and chief communications officer, MSK. “By updating our web presence, we are making an even greater commitment to serving the needs of patients and caregivers, as well as healthcare providers, researchers, and others who look to Memorial Sloan Kettering for information about the latest cancer advances, educational opportunities, pioneering science, and exceptional care.”

Importantly, these sites are designed to be accessible across multiple screens and devices. MSK is one of the first local healthcare providers to create a fully responsive, mobile-enabled site.

"We know that every form of cancer is different, the same lung-cancer diagnosis does not mean the same outcome from one individual to the next," says says Scott Eagerman, SVP, Group Account Director, DigitasLBi. "Because of this, we have to be able to help patients navigate through their own personal experience. A patient’s journey with cancer becomes more and more specialized as they learn more about it -- and we need to tailor an experience to that insight."

Technology was key to this project. MSK is the first organization in the United States to build using enterprise-grade Drupal 8, an open-source content-management system (CMS) still in beta testing. "MSK has become an important core contributor to the open-source Drupal 8 project," says Meehan. "MSK has been committed to Drupal for a number of years and we support the principles behind open source. In truth, we had a many spirited debates about the wisdom of launching with Drupal8, but we’re an organization that thrives on technical innovation and it ultimately seemed like the best, long-term decision."

Technology partner Phase2, a leader in the open-source community and an early adopter of previous Drupal versions, led the development and Drupal theming of tools and functionalities for MSK’s new Web presence. Phase2 also worked closely with MSK consultant and lead web developer Jacob Rockowitz, consultant and president, The Big Blue House.

The project wasn't without its challenges. "Our first challenge was engaging a diverse set of stakeholders," says Meehan. "MSK is a big organization and our colleagues don’t hold back when it comes to expressing their views. So we started by listening. The Digitas team conducted more than 90 stakeholder interviews — an incredible number in retrospect. We then committed to holding regular town hall meetings to share progress, as well as individual meetings with physicians, researchers and other staff." 

Second, the project had to stay focused on the fundamentals: users. "After all, many individuals turn to MSK at a moment of great stress — when they or a family member has received a cancer diagnosis — and they shouldn’t have to struggle to for guidance," says Meehan. "So we’re presenting visual and written content in new ways and will continue to develop new assets after launch." 

Although the audience pathways create a strong framework to a personalized experience, executives intend to further explore tailoring content to match visitors’ individual preferences. "Throughout our user testing of concepts and information architecture we saw that everyone has a different need for how they consume content, and we aim to support those needs as closely as possible," says Eagerman. "We will continue user testing sessions post launch to help prioritize future enhancements."

Additionally, refreshing content on over 20,000 pages across these two Websites will take time. Updates have been focused on the primary paths for both imagery and tone of voice, but in the upcoming months, MSK will continue to update content on deeper level pages. 

The site refresh follows the recent launches of MSK’s personalized mobile app and online patient portal, which allow users to securely access information about their care, such as lab results, appointments, and bills. Since its launch in mid-February, the mobile app has been downloaded 2,300 times while the online patient portal currently has over 45,000 validated users.

MSK spent $9.437 million on advertising last year according to its financial records.