Principles Of Design Thinking Research Articles

Developing a single-session strategy for the implementation of take-home naloxone by community pharmacists using COM-B and design-thinking.

Despite the overwhelming evidence of its effectiveness, there is poor implementation of take-home naloxone by pharmacists. Barriers have been explored and mapped to the capability, opportunity, motivation-behaviour (COM-B) model of behaviour change, yet no theoretically informed implementation strategies that target known barriers have been developed. Single-session implementation strategies have been proposed as a simple, scalable way to target multiple barriers. Qualitative participatory methods, incorporating design-thinking principles, were used to develop the key messages of a single-session implementation strategy. The key messages were drafted against COM-B mapped implementation barriers identified in the literature. A participatory workshop involving a pre-mortem exercise and incorporating design-thinking principles were used to refine the messages and generate methods for dissemination. Messages were mapped to interview questions to naturally illicit stories and delivered via storytelling from a pharmacist, a general practitioner, and a person with lived experience of using naloxone. A 3 minute 40 second video and a two-page printable infographic were developed and hosted on a website, with links to additional downloadable resources as a single-session implementation strategy. Email was the preferred method for receiving simple professional development communications, with social media also widely accessed. Implementation science, behavioural change theory, and participatory design methods are a complementary combination to develop implementation strategies. Some pharmacists questioned the participatory design approach to developing an implementation strategy, as it was outside of their comfort zone. However, the participatory process involving end-users resulted in unique ideas that are unlikely to have been generated using more traditional consultative approaches. The delivery as a single-session implementation strategy allows for widespread dissemination and delivery at scale.

Design thinking impact on value creation and value capture on innovation projects

Design thinking has proven to be an effective approach to driving innovation in diverse contexts and has attracted increasing interest from scholars and practitioners. However, the plurality of points of view about design thinking can bring diffuse understandings and hinder a cohesive perspective on the construct. This work continues the research stream to provide greater specificity about design thinking practice. The paper focuses on new solution development projects, investigating how design thinking contributes to advance from value creation to value capture—which are two fundamental achievements of successful innovations. Based on three in‐depth case studies of new product development conducted in healthcare innovation projects, this work indicates that design thinking is more prone to promoting value creation rather than value capture. Design thinking principles work as a compass that guides the development team, getting clues from users to direct the value creation. In addition, the study shows the importance of complementing design thinking with specialist knowledge to build solutions that can create value. Finally, the study shows that value capture is not an immediate outcome of design thinking. Therefore, this work indicates the need to complement design thinking with business‐oriented approaches to provide market‐related results.

Utilizing Design Thinking for Effective Multidisciplinary Diabetes Management.

(1) Background: Design thinking, as a human-centered design method, represents a unique framework to support the planning, testing, and evaluation of new clinical spaces for diabetic care throughout all phases of construction. This approach prioritizes the needs and experiences of diabetic patients to create innovative and effective healthcare environments. By applying design-thinking principles, healthcare facilities can optimize the design and functionality of their clinical spaces, ensuring a patient-centered approach to diabetic care. This holistic and personalized approach can ultimately enhance the overall quality of diabetic care provided to patients. (2) Methods: The study used the action research method and progressively explored diabetes patients' needs and preferences for care, subsequently developing creative solutions to achieve the goals. There were six doctors, seven nursing staffs, four case managers and three family members who participated in the design-thinking workshop. (3) Results: The participating trainees in this study developed unique and innovative solutions during the iterative process of "divergent thinking" and "focused thinking", including diabetes dietary guidelines for food ordering and delivery platforms, and the design of accompanying health-education picture books to enable patients to learn the care process and precautions before, during, and after discharge. (4) Conclusions: This continuing education model promoted sharing among participants, improved collaboration and mutual learning, and increased motivation through goal setting.

An effectuation and causation perspective on the role of design thinking practices and digital capabilities in platform-based ventures

The evolution of digital platforms and related ecosystems has led to a new and essential context of entrepreneurship. Previous studies have revealed that although high-tech new ventures possess cutting-edge technology, they face significant challenges because of vital resource constraints and limited management capability. Design thinking practices have emerged as a prominent problem-solving approach offering innovation benefits during high uncertainties. However, in the context of high-tech ventures, more research is needed on linking the relationship between design thinking principles, innovation theories (effectuation and causation), and firm performance. The present study investigates how the design thinking principles influence innovation theories and whether it leads to improved high-tech venture performance. Based on a survey of 291 platform-based start-ups in India, the results show that design thinking ways are well integrated into the theories of effectuation and causation, facilitating the growth of platform-based ventures. However, the influence of effectuation and causation on platform-based venture performance is found to be mediated through the digital capabilities acquired by these ventures.

Design, Implementation, and Outcomes of an Interprofessional Mobile Web Application for Preceptors for Challenging Issues

ObjectiveThe purpose of this study was to develop and assess an easily accessible interprofessional mobile web application to assist preceptors with challenging teaching and learning situations. MethodsPhase 1 was a modified Delphi process of 48 advanced practice nursing, dentistry, medicine, and pharmacy preceptors to determine the content of the application. Phase 2 consisted of 12 preceptors from the 4 disciplines piloting a prototype to refine the tool using design-thinking principles. Feedback was analyzed using inductive coding and thematic analysis. Phase 3 evaluated the impact of the final tool on 80 preceptors’ satisfaction, knowledge, self-efficacy, and perception of behavior change. ResultsConsensus on 10 topics was reached in the following 3 themes: feedback and communication, clinical and professional development of learners, and precepting efficiency. Preceptors rated the tool as efficient and applicable. Features perceived as useful included concise and applicable content that was easy to navigate with practical video examples. Features to improve included academic jargon, length of content, and lack of connectivity with other preceptors. Knowledge and self-efficacy improved after the use of the refined tool. Change in perceptions of behavior after 1 month was mixed, with a significant change in accessing resources to address challenging situations and regularly reflecting on challenging situations and no significant change in awareness, frequency, or success in managing challenging situations. ConclusionAn interprofessional mobile web application for challenging teaching and learning situations developed through a modified Delphi process was deemed efficient and relevant and demonstrated positive knowledge and self-efficacy change.

Humanising complex projects through design thinking and its effects

The last decades of research in project studies show us that humans, rather than technologies, software or mathematical models, shape project success. This is simultaneously fascinating and problematic since, while technologies, software or mathematical models are relatively predictable and straightforward, humans are far more complex, with extremely intricate links between motivations and emotions. This consideration is particularly true in complex projects where a plethora of diverse stakeholders have very different emotions and motivations toward the same project. To address this challenge, this essay proposes using design thinking principles, tools, and techniques to "humanise" complex projects. By bringing together stakeholders, including non-market stakeholders such as local communities, with diverse goals and interests and aligning them with a common purpose, design thinking can help to shape, plan, and deliver successful complex projects. While design thinking is commonly discussed in innovation studies, this essay aims to encourage its investigation and discussion in project studies.

The need and development for a value-added toolkit—A case study with Montana specialty fruit growers

IntroductionCold-hardy small fruits and berries have the potential for specialty fruit growers in the Intermountain West, where the climate is not suited for conventional fruit crops. In the last seven years, approximately 50 varieties of cold-hardy, bush fruit types have been researched in western Montana.MethodHence with the increased small fruit and berry production, and interest of specialty fruit growers in value-added product development, this paper utilized participatory action research (PAR) to develop a value-added product development toolkit with specialty fruit growers and used an integrated logic model to discuss creating and implementing the toolkit. Firstly, we used an online survey to identify the needs and challenges of specialty fruit growers. Next, a value-added toolkit is drafted using the principles of design thinking and involving a student-grower partnership. Thirdly, the specialty fruit grower's interest in and feedback on the drafted toolkit is evaluated using focus group discussions and individuals interviews, and the results are used to revise the toolkit. Lastly, the short, medium and long-term outcomes for this toolkit are discussed using the logic model.ResultsFrom the survey, 61% of specialty fruit growers indicated an interest in value-added opportunities. Yet, focus group discussions and individual interviews found the biggest barriers to value-added product development are cost, resources, and environment. This indicated a co-created toolkit will be a beneficial solution. During focus group and individual interviews, the growers suggested including the toolkit as part of coursework in semester-long classes. This will address issues of continuity and funding.DiscussionOverall, this study deployed PAR methods to propose with Montana specialty fruit growers a solution to their increasing needs in value-added pursuits, implying short-term economic benefits but also long-term socio-ecological benefits. The participatory model of creating value-added resources presented by this paper can benefit other small-scale specialty crop growers in underserved regions.

European Super League: designing “new” football

Purpose The purpose of this study is to use design thinking principles to understand the failure of the ‘new’ European Super League, and also understand how it could be redesigned. Research methodology This case has been developed from secondary sources, including news reports, social media sites, annual reports and websites of the Union of European Football Associations and the European football clubs. This case was classroom-tested with post-graduate management students in a design thinking course in May 2021 at an Indian business school, S.P. Jain Institute of Management & Research, in Mumbai, India. Case overview/synopsis In April 2021, a new football league – the European Super League, is announced as a breakaway rebel league, in direct competition with United European Footballers Association's Champions League. It is backed by the top 12 European clubs and officials in European football, besides the US investment bank, JP Morgan. The new league is touted as one intended to save football. It is, however, denounced by fans and shunned almost universally. The league, which has been planned for the past three and half years, faces collapse. Why did the European Super League fail? How could the founders design a new league? Complexity academic level This case could be used in an undergraduate or MBA classroom or an executive education programme in a design thinking course. It can also be used to teach marketing courses such as marketing strategy, new product development and consumer behaviour.

Applying the principles of Design Thinking to the Intensive Care Environment

Patient-centered care and evidence-based medicine are mantras that form the foundation of modern healthcare practice. Yet, most of the tools for designing healthcare solutions, including randomized control trials, quality improvement initiatives, and even qualitative research, are often better adapted to providing an evidence-based foundation for practice at the expense of patient, family, and healthcare worker needs. These approaches tend to focus on improving outcomes and processes (Grys, 2022). Stakeholders — particularly patients, but also staff – are objects being scrutinized by “experts” under the scientific or medical gaze, filtering out what the “expert” deems as irrelevant (O’Callaghan, 2022). However, outcomes and processes are not sufficient if they do not prioritize human voice, dignity, and participation. Design thinking provides a complementary approach to evidence-based medicine by engaging the person in experimenting, prototyping, giving feedback, and redesigning healthcare solutions centered around the needs of humans (Razzouk & Shute, 2012). This article describes the process of design thinking as an approach to the creation of human-centered solutions and makes reference to the implementation of the design thinking process in the intensive care unit (ICU) of SickKids, an academic paediatric hospital in Ontario.

Applying Design-Thinking Principles to Practice-Based Pharmacy Research.

Design thinking is an approach to problem solving that focuses on a solution to a problem. This systematic approach can be applied to practice-based research or implementation projects in your practice setting. It may be useful for starting new projects as well as revisiting past projects that may not have yielded meaningful results. The design-thinking process begins with identifying a problem or knowledge gap and then the steps include: (1) understanding the problem, (2) observing the problem, (3) defining the problem, (4) brainstorming possible solutions, (5) prototyping the best solution, and (6) testing the solution.

THE NECESSITY OF TEAMWORK APPROACH IN ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN EDUCATION: AN ANALYTICAL STUDY

Aim: This study intends to identify the processes of group design with students, the weak and strong areas of their activity in different phases, and to assess the implications of education in executing this activity by focusing on the principles of group design thinking in architecture. Method: A test was conducted among students from Tehran and Konya Technical Universities to investigate the influence of education on improving group design quality. This experiment was conducted by having three-hour drawing sessions and dividing the students into 8 groups. The single-variable test method was utilized because of the independence of the groups and the equality of their variances. Two preliminary exams were used to measure students’ lack of understanding and familiarity with group work, followed by an extra examination for the students involved in the issue. Results: The findings revealed that in group architectural design, group members focus largely on the design’s content, with team communication centred on two essential aspects: content analysis and process review. Conclusion: Teamwork in designing can be superior to solo effort, and proper training can increase this. It is felt that paying attention to the concept of group design and teaching it in architecture schools is useful.

Room2Educ8: A Framework for Creating Educational Escape Rooms Based on Design Thinking Principles

By immersing learners in a playful, interactive, and engaging experience, Educational Escape Rooms (EERs) have been found to enhance learners’ motivation, help them to develop 21st century skills, and improve knowledge acquisition. As research into EERs is still in a preliminary phase, no unified framework about how to design them has been established yet. Additionally, existing frameworks rarely validate the quality and efficacy of the frameworks themselves in terms of usability and usefulness. Therefore, the present paper proposes Room2Educ8, a learner-centred framework for EER design that follows Design Thinking principles. It provides detailed heuristics for empathising with learners, defining learning objectives and constraints, adding narrative, designing puzzles, briefing and debriefing participants, prototyping and playtesting, documenting the whole process, and evaluating the EER experience. A mixed-methods internal validation study based on Instructional Design model validation was conducted with 104 postgraduate students between 2018–2022 to assess the framework’s integrity and use. The study findings suggest that Room2Educ8 can be proposed as a valid tool for developing a wide range of EER types that cover a variety of topics. Its well-described and practical steps make it appropriate for educators regardless of a lack of prior experience in EER design.

The Implementation of a Primary HPV Self-Testing Cervical Screening Program in Malaysia through Program ROSE-Lessons Learnt and Moving Forward.

Program ROSE (removing obstacles to cervical screening) is a primary HPV-based cervical screening program that incorporates self-sampling and digital technology, ensuring that women are linked to care. It was developed based on the principles of design thinking in the context of Malaysia. The program illustrates the importance of collaborative partnerships and addressing the multi-faceted barriers from policy changes, and infrastructure readiness to the implementation of a radically new cervical screening program in communities. The paradigm shift in cervical cancer requires a monumental and concerted effort in educating both the healthcare providers and the general public. In this short review, we highlight how Pilot Project ROSE incorporated evidence-based tools that rapidly scaled up to Program ROSE. These ideas and solutions can be adapted and adopted by other countries. Notwithstanding the impact of COVID-19, it is incumbent on countries to pave the road towards the elimination of cervical cancer with pre-existing footpaths.

Developing a Provincial Surveillance and Support System for Childhood Cancer Survivors: Multiphase User-Centered Design Study.

BackgroundSurvivors of childhood cancer are at lifelong risk of morbidity (such as new cancers or heart failure) and premature mortality due to their cancer treatment. These are termed late effects. Therefore, they require lifelong, risk-tailored surveillance. However, most adult survivors of childhood cancer do not complete recommended surveillance tests such as mammograms or echocardiograms.ObjectiveIn partnership with survivors, family physicians, and health system partners, we are designing a provincial support system for high-priority tests informed by principles of implementation science, behavioral science, and design thinking.MethodsOur multiphase process was structured as follows. Step 1 consisted of a qualitative study to explore intervention components essential to accessing surveillance tests. Step 2 comprised a workshop with childhood cancer survivors, family physicians, and health system stakeholders that used the Step 1 findings and “personas” (a series of fictional but data-informed characters) to develop and tailor the intervention for different survivor groups. Step 3 consisted of intervention prototype development, and Step 4 involved iterative user testing.ResultsThe qualitative study of 30 survivors and 7 family physicians found a high desire for information on surveillance for late effects. Respondents indicated that the intervention should help patients book appointments when they are due in addition to providing personalized information. Insights from the workshop included the importance of partnering with both family physicians and survivorship clinics and providing emotional support for survivors who may experience distress upon learning of their risk for late effects. In our user-testing process, prototypes went through iterations that incorporated feedback from users regarding acceptability, usability, and functionality. We sought to address the needs of survivors and physicians while balancing the capacity and infrastructure available for a lifelong intervention via our health system partners.ConclusionsIn partnership with childhood cancer survivors, family physicians, and health system partners, we elucidated the barriers and enablers to accessing guideline-recommended surveillance tests and designed a multifaceted solution that will support survivors and their family physicians. The next step is to evaluate the intervention in a pragmatic randomized controlled trial.

Creating Student-centred Experiences: Using Design Thinking to Create Student Engagement

Design thinking (also known as human-centred design) is a creative problem-solving framework that focuses on developing user-centred, effective solutions to well-defined problems. Given the focus in entrepreneurship education on factors like idea generation and opportunity recognition, design thinking is especially important. While popular in several fields such as engineering, business and computer science, the authors have developed a framework to help faculties use the principles of design thinking to design more effective and highly engaging student experiences in and out of the classroom. Called the Design Framework for Student Engagement (DFSE), the article outlines the key premises of the framework as well as the tools and strategies that teachers can use to create engaging student experiences.

Hearing From You: Design Thinking in Audiological Research.

The purpose of this article is to describe the emerging use of design thinking methodologies in hearing health care research using a participatory action approach with a consumer and community involvement panel, audiologists, and adults with hearing loss. Two connected hearing health care projects that adopted design thinking principles are presented here as case studies. Case 1 investigated the applicability and acceptability of smart voice assistant technology as post-hearing aid fitting support. Case 2 investigated the feasibility of providing support for new adult patients with hearing loss before they attend their hearing assessment appointment. The design thinking process provided a flexible structure in which researchers were able to empathize with stakeholders, define their unmet needs, and ideate potential connected hearing health care solutions to develop and evaluate prototypes in clinical and home settings. Utilizing a needs-based, collaborative design thinking approach to conduct development in hearing health care research is a viable and novel option to produce innovative, relevant, and translational hearing health solutions that address stakeholder needs.

A disruptive model for delivering higher education programs within the context of entrepreneurship education

PurposeThe purpose of this practitioner paper is to explore whether the principles of Design Thinking and the Lean Startup could be employed in developing a disruptive model for delivering educational programs within higher education in a way that attempts to eliminate the multitude of problems facing this industry, while simultaneously adhering to the principles of frugal innovation and meeting relevant sustainability goals.Design/methodology/approachThe authors followed a design thinking approach, employing tools such as empathy mapping, customer journey, value proposition and semi-structured interviews to obtain a deep level of understanding of the problems educators and students within the context of entrepreneurship education are facing. Throughout the process they drew on the practice of emergent inquiry and customer co-creation to help guide decision making.FindingsThe authors successfully derived a conceptual solution in the form of a Minimum Viable Product of which the features were tested against the multitude of user needs and requirements. It was possible to demonstrate how the solution meets all nine of the requirements for frugal innovations while simultaneously adhering to applicable sustainability principles.Practical implicationsThe proposed solution offers a potential opportunity to first-movers in chosen academic disciplines to become leaders in online education.Originality/valueEven in an industry such as higher education there is a dire need for frugality and finding sustainable solutions for educators and students in both developed and developing markets. With this paper the authors succeed in presenting innovative combinations of digital artefacts, platforms and infrastructure to arrive at a novel crowd-sourced solution that is unique in its design.

“I Do Better, Feel Less Stress and Am Happier” – A Humanist and Affective Perspective on Student Engagement in an Online Class

Aim/Purpose; Fostering student engagement is one of the great challenges of teaching, especially in online learning environments. An educators’ assumptions and beliefs about what student engagement is and how it manifests will shape the strategies they design to engage students in learning. However, there is no agreement on the definition of concept of student engagement and it re-mains a vague construct. Background: Adopting the principles of user-centered design, the author maintains that to design learning experiences which better support student engagement it is important to gain insights into how students perceive and operationalize the concept of engagement in learning. The recent challenges of teaching effectively online prompted the author to reflect more deeply on the concept of engagement and how it might be achieved. Methodology: In the tradition of reflective teaching, the author undertook an informal, qualitative inquiry in her classroom, administering a brief questionnaire to students in her online class. When the themes which emerged were integrated with other literature and findings from the author’s earlier classroom inquiry, some insights were gained into how students ‘operationalize’ the concept of engagement, and weight was added to the authors’ premise of the value of humanistic approaches to university teaching, the need for greater emphasis on student-teacher connection and the necessity of considering the affective domain alongside the cognitive domain in learning in higher education. The insights were brought together and visualized in a conceptual model of student engagement. Contribution: The conceptual model presented in the present paper reflects the author’s present ‘mental model’ of student engagement in classes online and, when the opportunity arrives, in face-to-face classes as well. This mental model shapes the authors’ course design, learning activities and the delivery of the course. Although the elements of the model are not ‘new’, the model synthesizes several related concepts necessary to a humanist approach to under-standing student engagement. It is hoped that the model and discussion presented will be stimulus for further rich discussion around the nature of student engagement. Findings: Interestingly, the affective rather than the cognitive domain framed students’ perspectives on what engagement ‘looks like to them’ and on what teachers should do to engage them. Recommendations for Practitioners: By sharing the process through which the author arrived at this understanding of student engagement, the author has also sought to highlight three key points: the importance of including the ‘student perspectives and expectations’ against which educators can examine their own assumptions as part of the process reflective teaching practices; the usefulness of integrating theoretical and philosophical frameworks in our understandings of student engagement and how it might be nurtured, and finally the necessity of affording greater influence to humanism and the affective domain in higher education. The findings emphasize the necessity of considering the affective dimension of engagement as an essential condition for cognitive engagement and as inextricable from the cognitive dimension of engagement. Recommendations for Researchers: The emphasis in research engagement learning and teaching is on how we (the educators) can do this better, how we can better engage students. While the student perspective is often formulated from data obtained through surveys and focus groups, researchers in learning engagement are working with their own understandings (albeit supported by empirical research). It is crucial for deeper insight to also understand the students’ conceptualization of the phenomena being researched. Bringing the principles of design thinking to bear on educational research will likely provide greater depth of insight. Impact on Society: Empirical, formal, and structured research is undeniably essential to advancing human endeavor in any field, including learning and teaching. It is however important to recognize informal research in the form of classroom inquiry as part of teachers’ reflexive practice is also legitimate and useful to advancing understanding of complex phenomenon such as student engagement in learning through multiple perspectives and experiences. Future Research: Further research on the nature of student engagement in different contexts and against different theoretical frameworks is warranted as is empirical investigation of the premise of the value of humanism and the affective do-main in defining and measuring student engagement in higher education.

ТРАНСФОРМАЦІЯ ПІДХОДУ ДО ОЦІНКИ ІННОВАЦІЙНИХ РІШЕНЬ В БУДІВНИЦТВІ

In the article it is considered the peculiarities of the technical and economic evaluation of the innovations in the construction. In the modern conditions, the decision of providing the innovations in the construction procces should be based on the classical assessment of the technical solutions and the effectiveness of the construction projects. Using of the wide range of the modern research tools strengthens the assessment capabilities and creates new approaches to the selection of the innovations. The purpose of the article is to define the modern approaches to the evaluation of the innovative solutions in construction and the possibilities of using design-thinking tools in the determining perspective innovations. Understanding the value of the innovation for the consumer, preliminary evaluation of the innovation from the position of satisfying the consumer's needs and the involvement of consumers in the determination of promising innovative products determine the basis of the transformation of approaches to the evaluation. Innovations in construction take place in several main directions. Innovations in production include the introduction of the latest materials, energy-saving production technologies; using of drones, "smart" security devices, information monitoring of buildings (BIM), 3D printing, modern tools of the mechanization. Innovative construction facilities involve the introduction of the concept of "smart buildings", increasing the safety of the construction facilities, improvement of the energy efficiency and energy-saving technologies. Innovations in the design of construction objects include modeling of construction objects (VIM technologies), 3D printing, augmented reality in the design, creation of virtual models – "twins" of objects, and also introduction of other digital products. Innovations in the organization of construction enterprises are the introduction of the newest business models. A wide range of innovations involves the choosing not only from the company's point of view, but also taking into account the needs of consumers. Consumers' vision turns the innovative solutions to the basis of the new approach to determining their feasibility. The effective approach to solve this problem is to apply the design thinking with the wide range of tools that can be offered. Design thinking has the significant potential for the evaluating innovative solutions in construction. Involvement of the consumer in the formation of the value of the innovation at all stages of implementation using the principles of design thinking significantly increases the efficiency of the innovative activity of the construction enterprises.

Identifying Actionability as a Key Factor for the Adoption of 'Intelligent' Systems for Drug Safety: Lessons Learned from a User-Centred Design Approach.

IntroductionInformation technology (IT) plays an important role in the healthcare landscape via the increasing digitization of medical data and the use of modern computational paradigms such as machine learning (ML) and knowledge graphs (KGs). These ‘intelligent’ technical paradigms provide a new digital ‘toolkit’ supporting drug safety and healthcare processes, including ‘active pharmacovigilance’. While these technical paradigms are promising, intelligent systems (ISs) are not yet widely adopted by pharmacovigilance (PV) stakeholders, namely the pharma industry, academia/research community, drug safety monitoring organizations, regulatory authorities, and healthcare institutions. The limitations obscuring the integration of ISs into PV activities are multifaceted, involving technical, legal and medical hurdles, and thus require further elucidation.ObjectiveWe dissect the abovementioned limitations by describing the lessons learned during the design and implementation of the PVClinical platform, a web platform aiming to support the investigation of potential adverse drug reactions (ADRs), emphasizing the use of knowledge engineering (KE) as its main technical paradigm.ResultsTo this end, we elaborate on the related ‘business processes’ (i.e. operational processes) and ‘user goals’ identified as part of the PVClinical platform design process based on Design Thinking principles. We also elaborate on key challenges restricting the adoption of such ISs and their integration in the clinical setting and beyond.ConclusionsWe highlight the fact that beyond providing analytics and useful statistics to the end user, ‘actionability’ has emerged as the operational priority identified through the whole process. Furthermore, we focus on the needs for valid, reproducible, explainable and human-interpretable results, stressing the need to emphasize on usability.