For Paula Voorheis, assistant professor in the School of Pharmacy’s new Division of Clinical Practice, Innovation & Research, innovation isn’t just about creating something new; it’s about designing solutions that meet real human needs. True clinical innovation, she believes, requires more than expertise and novel ideas. It necessitates a commitment to empathy, curiosity, and a deep understanding of how people actually experience care. Voorheis’ program of work combines human-centered design and behavioral science to help innovation teams develop digital health tools that work for real people in real world settings.
Originally from Canada, Voorheis joined UW–Madison in 2025 with an internationally recognized research program focused on improving how digital health tools (such as patient portals, self-management apps, AI navigation systems, and patient summary QR codes) are designed and implemented. Her work explores how these technologies can empower patients and enhance care experiences across health systems.
“Many digital health tools are developed for patients, caregivers, and clinicians, but not with them,” said Voorheis. “My work focuses on shifting that norm. I want to bring technology innovators and users together to co-design solutions that are evidence-based, human-centered, and sustainable in practice.”
Designing With, Not For
A central thread in Voorheis’s research is understanding how people actually use digital health tools, and what gets in their way. One example comes from her evaluation of MyHealthNB, New Brunswick, Canada’s provincial personal health record system. Through interviews and surveys with thousands of users, Voorheis and her team uncovered why some patients eagerly embraced the tool while others found it confusing or anxiety-inducing.
“People want access to their health information, but access alone isn’t empowerment. Designing for empowerment means creating digital tools that make health information understandable, actionable, and supportive of real-life decision making,” said Voorheis.
Her findings are helping health systems rethink how digital tools are built, shifting the focus from simply sharing information to truly supporting patients in using it.
Looking Ahead: Building a Smarter, Kinder Digital Future
At UW–Madison, Voorheis is expanding this vision. Her lab will be exploring how AI and participatory design can work together to create smarter, more responsive digital health systems. She will be developing a platform that connects digital health innovators directly with patients and caregivers to gather real-time feedback on emerging digital tools, turning user insight into a form of continuous quality improvement.
She’s also building new collaborations across Wisconsin and Canada to study how design methods rooted in behavioral science can be embedded within health systems, helping clinicians, researchers, and technology developers co-create solutions that feel intuitive from the start.
“There’s no doubt that better data and smarter technology will help shape the future of healthcare. But real innovation starts with understanding people’s needs, habits, and everyday challenges,” said Voorheis. “We have to combine technology with empathy and behavioral insight to create solutions that truly work in real life.”