ABNM
Improving the Digital Experience for the American Board of Nuclear Medicine (ABNM)
Medical specialists who apply radiopharmaceuticals to evaluate metabolic, molecular, pathologic, and physiologic conditions in patients. Their findings are used to develop diagnoses, therapy solutions, and in research.
Client
American Board of Nuclear Medicine (ABNM)
Industry
Location
St. Louis, Missouri
The Challenge
The American Board of Nuclear Medicine (ABNM) provides certification to professionals practicing in the field of nuclear medicine. Struggling with outdated digital infrastructure, they were unable to meet the ever-growing demands of medical institutions and medical professionals. What was the biggest part of AMNM’s struggle? Dealing with an outdated website and connection portal, which was 15 years old and full of outdated features, an inefficient backend storage solution, and navigation errors. The user experience left a lot to be desired, as did the management tools associated with the website.
ABNM was struggling with digital dysfunction and needed to overhaul its existing legacy systems, which hindered growth and efficiency.
The issues included:
- Antiquated System Architecture: The backend storage solution and the codebase used for the front-end interface offered no scalability and were more than ten years old, with numerous potential security risks.
- Ineffective Admin Capabilities: Administrative staff struggled to perform normal functions such as user management, certification processes, and viewing reports.
- Frustrating User Experience: With a poorly designed navigation structure and a disorganized site build, users frequently encountered 404 errors (page not found errors) and provided no user support to correct them.
- Limited Functionality: The portal could not support multiple user personas in a role-based environment, which was necessary for ABNM.
- Outdated Visual Presentation: The web interface lacked professionalism found in other nuclear medicine websites.
These limitations resulted in less-than-satisfactory user experiences, confusion in the dissemination of information, and widespread inefficiency.
Website Transformation
Before: Outdated & Confusing
After: Personalized & Modern
Our Solution
ABNM ultimately partnered with CloudMellow as part of a two-part project to completely redesign their public website and administrative and user portals, aiming to improve user experience and overall operating efficiency.
To do this, CloudMellow developed the following goals:
- Improve the website UI to simplify navigation.
- Improve digital branding.
- Implement a secure, scalable, multi-persona portal solution.
- Develop workflows that streamline the certification process.
- Improve tools for management by the ABNM administrative team.
Part 1:
Website Redesign
CloudMellow developed a professional-looking website with simplified navigation and increased functionality, providing a much-needed upgrade to ABNM’s online presence.
The improvements included:
- Color-Coded Navigation: Assigned color accents for the Initial Certification, Continuing Certification, Board Members, and ABNM Admin pathways which simplified site navigation.
- Upgraded Site Visuals: Taking graphical elements of the ABNM logo, the site was updated to provide a professional appeal and improve the user experience.
- Simplified Payment Options: Implemented the ability to receive one-time donations, certification applications, and numerous other requests.
- Restructured Site Interface: Streamlined the interface for an improved user experience with reduced navigational confusion and improved engagement.
All of these improvements brought ABNM’s web presence from forgettable to cutting edge, reflecting their prestige while supporting their admirable mission.
Part 2:
Portal Development
The portal needed to support a diverse range of pathways and users, which included:
- ABNM Administrators
- Board Members
- Institutions (Program Directors / Administrators)
- Professionals (Trainees / Diplomates)
Multi-Persona Design
One of the most challenging aspects of the development project was recognizing that users could serve multiple roles. A Program Director may serve as a Board Member, while an Administrator could also be a certified medical professional. Implementing role fluidity was crucial in enabling users to switch roles without requiring separate accounts. This improved site and user management.
Institution Workflow
Another unique aspect of developing the portal was the ability to add institutions as users. We integrated a workflow feature to serve this purpose, which included:
- Sign up as organizations
- Assign multiple user roles (Program Directors, Admins, and Proctors)
- Add and manage trainees
- Assign Proctors to manage training milestones
- Automatically generate unique IDs (UIDs) for trainees
- Add institutional payments
- Track certification progress and download certificates
Those trainees added by their associated institutions were automatically onboarded, which provided them with login details, system-generated emails, and certification requirements.
Professional User Pathways
The portal separates professionals into two core pathways with separate functionality:
- Initial Certification Users
- Use a step-by-step wizard to complete their application
- Submit educational background, clinical training, medical licensing, board certifications, and supporting documents
- Receive real-time validation and notes from ABNM Admins
- Continuing Certification Users
- Access an annual review and submission wizard
- Carry forward previously submitted data, requiring only yearly updates
- Submit, pay, and receive reminders and status updates
Each user has a personalized dashboard that displays:
- Certification status and due dates
- Document center
- Fee/invoice history and receipts
- Notifications from ABNM Admins
Board Member Portal
Board Members are granted access to a separate section of the portal with:
- Governance documents
- Contact directories
- Meeting schedules and minutes
- Form libraries and board-specific communications
Admin Added Functionality
The ABNM Admin Panel is designed to be a command center. Admins can:
- Impersonate users for troubleshooting or fast updates
- Track trainee progress and add feedback at every step
- Send notifications, either mass or individual
- Access advanced reporting on:
- Demographics
- Fee and invoice summaries
- Certification statuses
- Training program data
- Manage billing, including recurring and one-off payments
- Change user statuses
- Integrated data solution enabling mass data exports
This level of administrative functionality automated manual processes and improved efficiency.
Conclusion
CloudMellow successfully transformed ABNM’s outdated digital infrastructure into a modern, scalable, and elegant solution. By balancing technical complexity with user-centric design, the team created a unique multi-persona portal that now stands as a benchmark in medical certification platforms.
The project demonstrates the power of strategic design, user insight, and agile technology to deliver lasting value to both the client and the professionals they serve.