The meaning of design in healthcare

Abstract

Healthcare technologies have a reputation for being overly-complex, difficult-to-use, uninspired, and unusable. There is a significant opportunity to incorporate human-centered design into healthcare through the synthesis of deep healthcare domain expertise, visual and industrial design, human factors theory and practice, and an understanding of the patient experience. In practice, the need for such synthesis brings together professionals who often have distinct understanding of the meaning of design in healthcare and the ways in which design can solve problems in healthcare. As such, each professional encounters distinct challenges in trying to realize good design in healthcare. This panel will bring together the contrasting perspectives of industry, academia, visual design, clinicians, patients, and human factors consultants on the role of user interface and technology design in healthcare. Each representative speaker will share his/her experience, lessons learned, and thoughts on the role and meaning of design in healthcare. The audience will then be engaged in a discussion that aims to bring a common understanding, inclusive of all perspectives.