Cancer Treatment Facilities: Using Design Thinking to Examine Anxiety and the Patient Experience

Abstract

Worldwide, 14 million people were diagnosed with cancer, and 8.8 million victims of cancer died in 2015 (Cancer, 2017). There is no doubt that cancer is a traumatic experience. Using design–thinking strategies, the purpose of this qualitative study was to examine if the built environment in cancer care facilities influences anxiety in patients and to generate patient–driven solutions to reduce stress. Due to its human–centered and codesign emphasis, design thinking is uniquely qualified to explore cancer treatment facility design. Yet, little research using a design–thinking approach examines how the built environment influences stress among patients in an oncology unit. Eight stakeholders ( n = 8), including cancer survivors, patients, caregivers, and staff, participated in three design–thinking workshops generating ideas for oncology units. In Workshop One, participants identified issues that caused anxiety through journaling and experience diagramming, including amount of travel within the facility, small uncomfortable waiting rooms, smells, and institutional spaces. Using prioritizing strategies, participants concluded with, “How can we optimize patients’ time and movement within a facility?” This question informed subsequent workshops where participants brainstormed and prototyped ideas. The final solution addressed patient time and movement through the creation of individualized Patient Treatment Pods (PTP) that provided control, privacy, comfort, and minimal travel within oncology units. Participants clustered the PTPs around a restroom, patient lounge, nurse's station, and nutrition. Utilizing participants’ personal experiences along with design thinking led to a prototype that creates a cancer treatment facility that may better suit patient needs while potentially reducing anxiety.