Decision fatigue at seed stage: why RelayHealth simplified feature choices

Tech · 4 min read

RelayHealth initially shipped a broad suite of configurable modules to appeal to many clinic types, but analytics showed low activation across most modules and scattered, inconsistent usage. UX research revealed clinicians were overwhelmed by configuration options and defaulted to legacy workflows rather than adapting the platform.

The team ran a priority workshop with clinicians, engineers, and investors, mapping features to core clinical jobs-to-be-done. They then introduced three curated configuration presets tailored to common clinic types and moved advanced toggles into an 'expert mode'. Designers simplified language, reduced on-screen options, and used progressive disclosure for infrequent settings.

Within three months adoption in target clinics doubled and setup time dropped from an average of 4 hours to 55 minutes. RelayHealth's approach shows that startups can boost early-stage product adoption by constraining choices and aligning UX to real-world workflows rather than hypothetical breadth.