Berlin-Chemie + Magnolia
“With the progress made in the further development of the TheraKey platform, Berlin-Chemie continues to set new standards in the field of digital health. We are able to accompany, for example, patients on their journey with chronic diseases such as CODP or asthma. The individual-based online portal we created with Magnolia allows non-drug therapy support that helps patients and relieves medical practices.”
BERLIN-CHEMIE AG is an innovative, traditional and internationally active pharmaceutical manufacturer from the heart of Europe. Since 1992 BERLIN-CHEMIE has been part of the globally active MENARINI Group, which has held the leading position in the Italian pharmaceutical market for decades.
Founded in Naples in 1886 and headquartered in Florence, the company has developed over generations into a global, owner-managed pharmaceutical company. Within the MENARINI Group, BERLIN-CHEMIE is responsible for the pharmaceutical business in Germany, Eastern Europe and the CIS region. In addition, Berlin is one of the group's central research sites.
The challenges
Lack of a unique information portal
In order to provide patients with the best possible care and all the information they need, BERLIN-CHEMIE created the digital health portal TheraKey back in 2012. This provides its users with scientifically based information that helps them to better understand and manage a wide range of chronic diseases. In collaboration with IBM iX and Magnolia, the information portal will continue to be further developed and increasingly personalized into the individual therapy support program TheraKey DTx from 2018. More varied and interactive content, useful tools and a personal profile, which users can access via a code from their doctor should offer them an all-round user experience tailored to them and their needs.
The user friendliness of the portal
The challenge was to personalize information based on individual health data and to show users only the content that is relevant to them. It was also important to create a user interface that was clear and easy to use. In addition, a new 12-week program on the topic of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) was to be published on the platform. The task was to create various interactive content forms and functions such as audio players, tasks, or quizzes in a user-friendly, informative, and visually appealing way.
The solution
A secure and modular architecture
To achieve its goals, BERLIN-CHEMIE chose Magnolia - a powerful digital experience platform (DXP) that enabled their editors to create high-quality, health-related information on websites and manage structured content for apps, quizzes and recipes. Since the solution is hosted in a private cloud, BERLIN-CHEMIE can rely on strong data security, which is essential when it comes to patient data. Magnolia also makes it easy to add new features to the existing platform. Third-party systems such as tracking solutions, Solr search or external apps can also be easily integrated thanks to Magnolia's scalability.
Personalized user experience
In the case of TheraKey DTx, web pages and structured data of the online portal are now maintained in Magnolia and indexed in the open source search platform Apache Solr. Thanks to workflow key generation, which executes scripts and generates keys at the push of a button, the personal access code to the portal can be printed in the form of the TheraKey. This physical key card is essential for the use of the portal by patients and is issued to the treating physicians.
Their patients can then register on the platform, which can be used on various devices thanks to its responsive design. After registration, health data such as age, gender, height and weight are stored in a separate profile and used by Magnolia to create a personalized patient experience. To do this, the solution pulls appropriate content from Solr and presents it on the website. Relatives can also register and learn more about a disease. Progress can be made in coordinated time frames through knowledge quizzes and with protocol tools. These tools and contents include, for example, a Fagerström test, a weight protocol, an insulin curve or a nutrition pyramid. The gamification approach makes it easier to absorb information and motivates users. The integration of the React app COPD Fitmacher rounds off the barrier-free therapy support program for COPD patients.
The result
Optimized development of a patient-oriented, interactive platform
With Magnolia, BERLIN-CHEMIE was able to quickly and efficiently transform TheraKey into a customized health assistant for all patients - with the ability to capture structured content in content types espeically time-saving in the development of the new platform. The Magnolia DXP also allows the central administration of five different BERLIN-CHEMIE clients. Meanwhile, separate Magnolia themes allow independent parallel deployments. Another benefit is the flexibility of offering developers the choice between classic options with HTML templates and CSS up to full headless variants with design system integration.
Hi, ISA - the medical AI chatbot
The TheraKey portal enabled the introduction of a revolutionary generative AI chatbot, ISA, designed to assist patients with COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease). Patients usign TheraKey can ask ISA all kinds of medical questions, from generic health tips to approved medical advice, relating to COPD. With a database consisting of over 720 studies done on COPD, along with precise pre-prompting and clear rule sets, ISA is able to improve the patient experience and and efectively guide them in their treatment.
ISA represents the next step in delivering compliant, personalized content to patients in the easiest, most user-friendly way possible.
Improved user experience
Above all, the solution is characterized by its user-friendliness. Even front-end developers can understand and use the Freemarker templates and maintenance dialogs after a short training period. In a similarly uncomplicated way, editors can use the user-friendly interface to design content in an informative and appealing way and then display it according to different indicators, user types and personal preferences. The integration of a tracking solution also helps in analyzing user behavior, which BERLIN-CHEMIE can use to make optimizations.
This means that TheraKey DTx is always close to the users and can adapt to their needs and wishes at any time.
IBM iX
IBM iX® is your global experience design partner within IBM Consulting. Working at the intersection of strategy, design and technology, we help the world’s most influential companies create better experiences, products and services that reinvent their relationships with customers and employees.