This week I have been running workshops in Design Thinking approaches with the Paediatric Team at the NHS Lothian Royal Hospital for Children & Young People in Edinburgh. Healthcare’s long established paradigm of innovation through quality improvement is very powerful. There is a lot to be learnt, however, from how different design disciplines define and solve problems, in particular how designers:
– Takes a step back to see the bigger picture
– Create solutions driven by user needs
– Integrate human needs with science and technology
– Future proof ideas by building understanding of future scenarios
– Translate multiple ideas into a tangible solution
– Work creatively and iteratively
– Communicate visually
This week we explored how through the use of tools and templates we can bring this design thinking into healthcare improvement. Clinicians, Nurses & Allied Health Professionals are all ‘silent designers’ (as defined by Dumas & Gorb), they design the healthcare pathways and healthcare systems that we all use, these teams are highly receptive to augmenting their existing skills with new approaches from design.