People’s Voice Survey

Overview

The People’s Voice Survey (PVS) is a global initiative developed by the QuEST Network (Quality Evidence for Health System Transformation) to bring citizens’ experiences, trust levels, and expectations into health system performance measurement. The DI² Accelerator’s Summer Corps collaborated with faculty from WashU Medicine to translate these survey responses into a user-friendly interactive dashboard, complete with customizable maps and charts, to make this rich data accessible to both the public and policymakers. By visually presenting insights on access to care, mental health, and confidence in the system, the dashboard promotes transparency, aids decision-making, and emphasizes WashU’s commitment to translating research into impactful tools.

View the dashboard at quest.wustl.edu/pvs.

Problem

The People’s Voice Survey addresses three core questions:

How well are healthcare systems working for people?
Do people have confidence in their healthcare system?
How are healthcare systems performing on public health priorities?

While the survey provides valuable insights, raw data alone can be difficult for the public and policymakers to interpret and apply. The Summer Corps project set out to:

Bridge the gap between academic research and everyday understanding to strengthen trust in academic institutions as drivers of change
Make People’s Voice Survey data more actionable for policy and advocacy
Help more people understand the importance and implications of the survey results

Approach

The team began by clarifying the goals of the application and determining how best to visualize the survey data. Once it was clear that maps and charts would be central to the user experience, they evaluated various technologies and selected Mapbox, D3.js, and React.js as the core tech stack.

Using Figma for wireframing and Cursor for rapid prototyping, the team built and refined the dashboard in iterative sprints. Weekly feedback sessions with faculty leads guided improvements, ensuring the product aligned with both the survey’s goals and user needs.

The People’s Voice Survey dashboard allows users to explore and compare metrics such as reported mental health status across different geographic regions.

Impact and applications

The People’s Voice Survey dashboard demonstrates how complex, population-level data can be transformed into clear insights that drive action. For the public and policymakers, it offers a transparent view of how communities perceive their healthcare systems, making it easier to identify strengths, address gaps, and support evidence-based decisions.

At WashU, the project serves as a model for other researchers working with large-scale survey or population datasets—showing how interactive visualization can make findings more accessible and impactful across disciplines.

Potential for reuse and scale:

Adapt the dashboard framework for other regions conducting the PVS or similar surveys.
Apply the model to other fields where public perception and system performance matter, such as education, environmental policy, or transportation.
Repurpose the infrastructure for other WashU research projects that aim to visualize and share population-level data with stakeholders.

Next steps

Planned next steps for the project include adding advanced visualization options for more granular data exploration, enhancing sharing features such as copy link, repost to apps, PDF export, and in-app forums, enabling side-by-side comparison of any two survey waves, loading and displaying the finalized 2024 survey data, and refining the visual design for scatter plots and difference bar plots.

Student spotlight

Julie Baguio

Student worker

As a software developer on the team, one surprising takeaway from this project was the value of designing for clarity. The goal of the dashboard wasn’t just to visualize data, but to make it accessible and meaningful to a general audience. Towards the latter half of the program, my efforts shifted to simplifying flows, reducing user friction, and thinking critically about where attention should go on the screen. I came in focused on building features, but I left with a deeper understanding of how thoughtful, user-centered design shapes the impact of software.

John Li

Student worker

It’s been very rewarding to work on a project that is public-oriented. It reminded me of the importance of simplicity and finding effective ways to communicate the results of scientific studies to a broader audience. Through this experience, I gained a deeper appreciation for making research more accessible and relevant to the people it’s meant to serve. I also had the opportunity to learn from my teammates which helped me grow both technically and collaboratively. Working together on a project that combines public impact with technical innovation has been a truly meaningful experience.

Justin Park

Student worker

Working on this team was an incredible experience that gave me a real glimpse into what it means to build software for a client. From rapid prototyping and iteration to scrapping entire versions and starting over, I learned how dynamic and adaptive the development process needs to be. It also helped me grow as a communicator, improving my ability to collaborate effectively and explain complex ideas clearly.

About the Digital Transformation Summer Corps

The Digital Transformation Summer Corps is a paid, 10-week program that invites students with skills in software development and data science to work alongside faculty to accelerate digitally-enabled research projects at WashU.

Students in the program gain hands-on experience working on high-impact initiatives, while faculty benefit from dedicated technical expertise to advance their work. Through mentorship, collaboration, and rigorous training in best practices for AI, machine learning, and computational research, the program fosters a dynamic community of innovation.

Aligned with WashU’s Here & Next strategic plan, the Digital Transformation Summer Corps strengthens the university’s digital infrastructure, supports faculty research, and delivers tangible outcomes that drive future funding and scholarly advancement.