Patient Contact Team:
Understanding the Veteran Spousal Benefits Experience
Project Overview
The VA Patient Contact Team (PCT) serves as a critical first point of contact for veterans and their families navigating the complex landscape of VA benefits and services. This research initiative focused specifically on recently widowed veterans—a population facing the compounded challenges of grief, financial uncertainty, and administrative complexity during one of life's most difficult transitions.
Research Approach
Our team conducted an observational study at the VA office in LA County, where we shadowed 10 PCT support sessions with recently widowed veterans. Through careful observation, we documented the emotional states, behavioral patterns, body language, and recurring questions that emerged during these interactions. This qualitative research revealed not just what widowed veterans need to know, but how they process information and make decisions while under significant emotional duress.
Key Insights
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​​​Deliverable Impact
We translated these observations into a series of illustrated user stories that bring the veteran experience to life for PCT staff. These narratives capture real moments from the sessions—the veteran who couldn't remember which forms they'd already submitted, the widow who broke down when asked about their spouse's date of death, the anxious questions about how quickly benefits would kick in.
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By presenting these stories visually and narratively, we've created training materials that help PCT team members develop deeper empathy and more effective communication strategies. The illustrations help new staff members quickly understand the emotional landscape they'll encounter, while the behavioral insights inform practical approaches to pacing conversations, simplifying language, and recognizing when veterans need additional support resources.
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This human-centered research approach ensures that PCT training goes beyond policy and procedure to address the real-world complexity of supporting veterans during crisis.
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widowed veterans often arrive in states of overwhelm—simultaneously grieving while facing urgent financial and healthcare decisions.
We observed patterns of confusion around benefits eligibility, frustration with paperwork requirements, and anxiety about timeline uncertainties.
Many veterans demonstrated difficulty retaining information during initial sessions, requiring patient repetition and simplified explanations from PCT staff.
Body language analysis showed clear markers of stress: crossed arms during complex policy explanations, visible relief when staff offered to handle certain administrative tasks, and emotional moments when discussing their late spouse's service or their own concerns about maintaining healthcare coverage.
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PCT Consumer Experiance Storyboard
Redacted PII Service Blueprint for Benefits Process
