Backlog Craft

Input

• Product: Meridian Health — patient-facing mobile app for appointment scheduling and care navigation
• Backlog snapshot: 14 stories in the top of backlog; last groomed 3 weeks ago; upcoming iteration focuses on "New Patient Onboarding" epic
• Known issues: 2 stories have no acceptance criteria, 1 story estimated at 13 points (oversized), priorities shifted after last week's discovery session revealed insurance verification is a blocker before booking
• IPM: Tuesday 10am; today is Monday morning

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Output (abbreviated)

Backlog Craft — Meridian Health · New Patient Onboarding Epic

Run Monday 8:42am · IPM Tuesday 10:00am

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Step 1 — /backlog-refine · Backlog Health Assessment

Health Summary

Dimension	Status	Notes
Priority alignment	⚠️ Needs attention	Insurance verification must move above booking flows per discovery findings
Story sizing	❌ Blocked	MH-47 estimated at 13 pts — must split before iteration
Acceptance criteria	❌ Incomplete	MH-51, MH-53 have no AC
Staleness	⚠️ Needs attention	6 stories untouched >3 weeks; 2 reference deprecated "Care Finder v1" flow

Priority Recommendations

Current Rank	Story	Recommended Rank	Reason
4	MH-44 · Verify insurance eligibility	1	Blocks booking; discovery confirmed hard dependency
1	MH-41 · Book first appointment	3	Cannot complete without MH-44 resolved
7	MH-48 · Show in-network providers	2	Depends on verification; enables booking
9	MH-53 · Profile photo upload	8	No user demand signal; deprioritize

Stories Flagged for Action

• MH-47 (13 pts) → Split required — "Complete new patient onboarding" is an epic masquerading as a story
• MH-51 → AC required — "Allow patient to set communication preferences" has no testable criteria
• MH-53 → AC required + reconsider priority — "Upload profile photo" lacks AC and business justification
• MH-42 → Refresh language — references "Care Finder v1 modal" (deprecated); update to current nav pattern

PM Decision Point: Confirm MH-47 split and which stories need full rewrites. MH-51 and MH-53 need AC before Tuesday — write from scratch or pull in existing design specs?

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Step 2 — /story-split · MH-47 Vertical Slices

Original: As a new patient, I can complete onboarding so that I am ready to book care. — 13 pts, no AC

Split rationale: Onboarding spans identity, insurance, preferences, and confirmation — four distinct user-visible outcomes, each independently shippable.

Slice	Story Title	Est.	Dependency
MH-47a	Enter personal and contact information	2 pts	None
MH-47b	Submit insurance information for eligibility check	3 pts	MH-44 (verification service)
MH-47c	Set care preferences and communication opt-ins	2 pts	MH-47a
MH-47d	View onboarding confirmation and next steps	1 pt	MH-47a, 47b, 47c

PM Decision Point: Does MH-47c overlap with MH-51 (communication preferences)? Recommend merging — confirm before /story-write proceeds.

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Step 3 — /story-write · Full Stories with Gherkin AC

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MH-47b · Submit insurance information for eligibility check

New Patient Onboarding · 3 pts

As a new patient completing onboarding, I want to enter my insurance details and receive immediate eligibility confirmation, So that I know whether my plan is accepted before I attempt to book an appointment.

Acceptance Criteria

Scenario: Eligible insurance confirmed
  Given I am on the insurance information step of onboarding
  And I enter a valid member ID and group number for a supported payer
  When I tap "Check my coverage"
  Then I see a confirmation banner: "Your plan is accepted at Meridian Health"
  And I can proceed to the next onboarding step

Scenario: Insurance not recognized
  Given I enter a member ID and payer that is not in the supported network
  When I tap "Check my coverage"
  Then I see an inline message: "We couldn't verify your plan — you can continue and resolve this before your visit"
  And I can still proceed through onboarding without being blocked

Scenario: Verification service unavailable
  Given the eligibility API returns a timeout or 5xx error
  When I tap "Check my coverage"
  Then I see: "Coverage check is temporarily unavailable — we'll verify before your appointment"
  And the error is logged for the care team to follow up

Scenario: Required fields missing
  Given I leave the member ID field blank
  When I tap "Check my coverage"
  Then I see inline validation: "Member ID is required"
  And the form does not submit

Out of scope: Real-time cost estimates, plan benefit details, dependent coverage

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MH-51 · Set communication preferences

New Patient Onboarding · 2 pts

As a new patient, I want to choose how Meridian contacts me for appointment reminders and care updates, So that I receive communications through my preferred channel without unwanted outreach.

Acceptance Criteria

Scenario: Patient selects preferred channels
  Given I am on the communication preferences step
  When I toggle on "SMS reminders" and toggle off "Email updates"
  Then my selections are saved to my profile
  And I see a summary: "We'll contact you by text message"

Scenario: No preference selected
  Given I skip the preferences step without making a selection
  Then the system defaults to email only
  And I can update preferences later from account settings

Scenario: Opt-out of all communications
  Given I deselect all communication channels
  Then I see a confirmation: "You've opted out of all reminders — you can update this anytime"
  And no automated messages are sent until preferences are changed

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Step 4 — /story-review · INVEST + Testable-AC Quality Check

Story	Independent	Negotiable	Valuable	Estimable	Small	Testable	Overall
MH-47a	✅	✅	✅	✅	✅	⚠️	Write AC before IPM
MH-47b	✅	✅	✅	✅	✅	✅	Iteration-ready
MH-47c	❌	✅	✅	✅	✅	✅	Merge with MH-51 — see note
MH-47d	⚠️	✅	✅	✅	✅	⚠️	Dependent — schedule last
MH-51	✅	✅	✅	✅	✅	✅	Iteration-ready
MH-44	✅	⚠️	✅	✅	✅	⚠️	AC needs error states added

Flags to Resolve Before IPM

1. MH-47a — No AC written yet. Assign to PM or tech lead to draft this morning; 30 min effort.
2. MH-47c / MH-51 overlap — Recommend merging into MH-51. Delete MH-47c post-confirmation.
3. MH-47d