Health Design Thinking: Creating Products and Services for Better Health (The MIT Press)

Description

Applying the principles of human-centered design to real-world health care challenges, from drug packaging to early detection of breast cancer. This book makes a case for applying the principles of design thinking to real-world health care challenges. As health care systems around the globe struggle to expand access, improve outcomes, and control costs, Health Design Thinking offers a human-centered approach for designing health care products and services, with examples and case studies that range from drug packaging and exam rooms to internet-connected devices for early detection of breast cancer. Written by leaders in the field-Bon Ku, a physician and founder of the innovative Health Design Lab at Sidney Kimmel Medical College, and Ellen Lupton, an award-winning graphic designer and curator at Cooper Hewitt Smithsonian Design Museum-the book outlines the fundamentals of design thinking and highlights important products, prototypes, and research in health design. Health design thinking uses play and experimentation rather than a rigid methodology. It draws on interviews, observations, diagrams, storytelling, physical models, and role playing; design teams focus not on technology but on problems faced by patients and clinicians. The book's diverse case studies show health design thinking in action. These include the development of PillPack, which frames prescription drug delivery in terms of user experience design; a credit card-size device that allows patients to generate their own electrocardiograms; and improved emergency room signage. Drawings, photographs, storyboards, and other visualizations accompany the case studies. Copublished with Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum Review: A great introduction to medical design and innovation - I'm already familiar with most of the design processes detailed in the first section. The added aspect of the medical environment considerations and punctuations of examples made it interesting. The gold, for me, is the second section that looks at actual examples, both conceptual and production. The use cases and implied benefits to the end users (often resulting in budget saving and improving the outcome for multiple connected users) makes it a fascinating read. Review: Good book but not for existing practitioners of design thinking - If you use design thinking already, this book isn't for you. It's a good overview with great case studies but it's aimed at the non design professional to get an overview of the design thinking process. I've got stacks of design thinking books and this is just another one to put on the shelf. It's not the right book for me but if you are a healthcare manager who finds themselves waking up in the role of product owner or innovation manager then this book is for you.