Position Paper: On Design Research Engaging With Healthcare Systems

Abstract

This position paper intends to trigger a debate on the engagement of the design research community with healthcare systems. We analyse the specificities of healthcare systems design and of healthcare organisations. We discuss the focus on evaluation and the evidence-based paradigm in healthcare, and argue that design research currently is ill-prepared to meet such expectations. Dedicated research attention in healthcare seems necessary to bridge this gap. It could enrich design research through multidisciplinary collaborations, and enable design to make a precious contribution to healthcare.

Is Anybody Listening? A Citation Analysis of Healthcare Design Research Articles Published in Design Journals

“…Design research often puts more weight on the former, whereas health sciences favour the latter. This could explain a lack of uptake of our publications in the health sciences (Lamé 2018). Another explanation is that some healthcare-related articles in our sample do build on case studies in healthcare organisations, but most of their findings are framed in design concepts and appear aimed at the design research community, without much takeaway for health scientists.…”

Joining forces: the value of design partnering with operational research to improve healthcare delivery

“…This attests to the dearth of rigorous evaluation of the impact of our approaches in improving healthcare delivery. Yet, being 'evidence-based' is a growing concern and key expectation in healthcare (Lamé 2018). Design and OR could benefit from a shared conversation on how to overcome this challenge and to draw on each other's strengths.…”

From Evidence to Implementation: How Systems Design Can Foresee Complex Healthcare Interventions

“…While randomised controlled trials (RCTs) are considered the gold standard for the evaluation of clinical efficacy, they may come at the expense of external generalisability in complex systems. Healthcare systems may be one of the most complex organisations, and RCTs as they exist today may not accurately reflect the extremely complex healthcare system (Klein and Young, 2015;Lamé, 2018).…”