Applying systems thinking and human-centered design to development of intervention implementation strategies: An example from adolescent health research.

Abstract

Introducing innovative health interventions into clinic settings requires a comprehensive and creative approach to multiple implementation challenges. To optimize implementation of a sexual and reproductive health intervention for young women with depression, we applied systems thinking and human-centered design thinking methods to develop tools and strategies to address issues influencing intervention implementation in diverse clinics. We recruited staff from three clinics that provide sexual and reproductive health and behavioral health care to young women. Across five sessions (four video conference calls, one in-person workshop), we used systems mapping to identify key stakeholders and their relationships, processes, and challenges to care; formed clinic staff-investigator design teams; brainstormed about challenges that would influence intervention implementation and considered potential solutions; prioritized implementation challenges; and designed prototypes of solutions. Participants responded positively to the systems thinking perspective and collaborative design thinking process. Findings included generalizable considerations about solving implementation challenges for clinic-based interventions, such as forming a team of champions representing the diverse disciplines involved in and impacted by intervention implementation, and creating multiple tools and strategies for implementation that can be tailored to a given clinic’s culture.Significance for public healthImplementing innovative health interventions in clinic systems requires consideration of multiple human, environmental, and process factors. To develop implementation tools and strategies for a sexual and reproductive health intervention for young women with depression, we applied systems thinking to consider clinic system elements and their connections, and human-centered design to tackle challenges with intervention implementation by centering on the clinic staff who would be experiencing these challenges. Using this approach, the investigators and clinic staff efficiently and effectively identified implementation challenges in diverse clinic settings and designed tools and strategies to overcome these challenges. This form of investigator-clinic staff collaboration, attention to system factors, and focus on creative solutions can inform research and care around implementing novel interventions in established clinical systems.