Healthcare Innovation by Design

debrasatterfield:

In experience design we talk a lot about user-centered design, usability, and participatory processes. And these things are truly important. We need to be aware of them and to respect the richness that they add to the design process. But one of the things that interests me in experience design is advocating for the people who can’t participate. Those people who don’t get invited to the table where the decisions are made.

Our society seems to revolve around the wants and needs of a few select people.

Wealth, power, connections…to name a few, will make the cut. Unfortunately, many people will never be in this select group of influencers. I saw this while spending great periods of time in the hospital as my child’s attendant caregiver… People who don’t speak the language, people who can’t speak at all, people who are not able to be an effective advocate for themselves for a variety of reasons…were at a distinct disadvantage.

If you can communicate you have rights, you have a say in your own destiny.

Interestingly, if we slow down the pace of our lives and listen closely, even those who seem least able to communicate often have something very meaningful to say. Yesterday, I took an hour out of my day to do client satisfaction surveys with three young adults with MR for a local group home. These amazing young people invited me into their living spaces and told me about their daily lives. They used what spoken language they had, if any, and added to the richness of the communication with gestures, sounds, expressions, and touch. My goal was to determine if they are well-adjusted and happy… and to get to know them just a little bit.

Ironically, compared to the people that I am surrounded by everyday, these young people were incredibly happy. Now, mind you, they were not without concerns- which they emphatically shared with me- but overall, they were happy. Not just happy for the moment, but happy in a larger sense.

I listened intently to pull out the stories that they were telling me through heavy speech impediments and limited vocabularies. I was hugged more times in that hour than I have been hugged in the last year…and I had my hand held and placed on their hands or heads to tell me that they wanted me to reciprocate their gestures of acceptance and joy. They were delighted to share their stories with me. And happy with their lives.

For those of us who are involved in medical experience design and healthcare innovation, it is good to be reminded of the whole scope of people that are beneficiaries. And to keep in mind that each of these groups of people are worthy of good design.

At times like this I am reminded that a shockingly large number of people with cognitive and developmental disabilities go without adequate medical or dental care.

It is also important to note that many of us at some point in our lives will suffer a permanent or temporary cognitive impairment. When we design medical experiences for all people regardless of their cognitive abilities, we design medical experiences for ourselves and our loved ones. Yet, these young adults, who so eloquently communicated to me through their personal languages, will never be part of a marketing focus group. But perhaps they should be.

Debra, amazingly well stated.  A critical part of care design will be communication design and a critical component of a well-designed care experience will be the opportunity and tools for patients toexpress their needs, opinions, desires,…  Very frequently care providers and patients/families exist in different worlds and speak different languages.  Both sides talk, but no communication happens.  Sam