Design as a quality improvement strategy: The case for design expertise

Bad design in safety-critical environments like healthcare can lead to users being frustrated, excluded or injured. In contrast, good design can make it easier to use a service correctly, with impacts on both the safety and efficiency of healthcare delivery, as well as the experience of patients and...

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Main Authors: Guillaume Lamé, PhD, Alexander Komashie, PhD, Carol Sinnott, MB, BAO, BCh, MMedSci, PhD, MICGP, MRCPI, Tom Bashford, MBBS MBiochem PhD MRCP FRCA
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2024-03-01
Series:Future Healthcare Journal
Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2514664524000067
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author Guillaume Lamé, PhD
Alexander Komashie, PhD
Carol Sinnott, MB, BAO, BCh, MMedSci, PhD, MICGP, MRCPI
Tom Bashford, MBBS MBiochem PhD MRCP FRCA
author_facet Guillaume Lamé, PhD
Alexander Komashie, PhD
Carol Sinnott, MB, BAO, BCh, MMedSci, PhD, MICGP, MRCPI
Tom Bashford, MBBS MBiochem PhD MRCP FRCA
author_sort Guillaume Lamé, PhD
collection DOAJ
description Bad design in safety-critical environments like healthcare can lead to users being frustrated, excluded or injured. In contrast, good design can make it easier to use a service correctly, with impacts on both the safety and efficiency of healthcare delivery, as well as the experience of patients and staff. The participative dimension of design as an improvement strategy has recently gained traction in the healthcare quality improvement literature. However, the role of design expertise and professional design has been much less explored. Good design does not happen by accident: it takes expertise and the specific reasoning that expert designers develop through practical experience and training. Here, we define design, show why poor design can be disastrous and illustrate the benefits of good design. We argue for the recognition of distinctive design expertise and describe some of its characteristics. Finally, we discuss how design could be better promoted in healthcare improvement.
format Article
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institution Kabale University
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series Future Healthcare Journal
spelling doaj-art-9e36590dd02241f98d831675abb0e2a72024-11-21T06:04:26ZengElsevierFuture Healthcare Journal2514-66452024-03-01111100008Design as a quality improvement strategy: The case for design expertiseGuillaume Lamé, PhD0Alexander Komashie, PhD1Carol Sinnott, MB, BAO, BCh, MMedSci, PhD, MICGP, MRCPI2Tom Bashford, MBBS MBiochem PhD MRCP FRCA3Université Paris-Saclay, CentraleSupélec, Laboratoire Génie Industriel, Gif-sur-Yvette, France; Corresponding author at: Laboratoire de Génie Industriel, CentraleSupélec, 3 rue Joliot Curie, F-91192 Gif-sur-Yvette Cedex, France.Health Systems Design Group, Engineering Design Centre, Department of Engineering, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK; The Healthcare Improvement Studies (THIS) Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UKThe Healthcare Improvement Studies (THIS) Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UKHealth Systems Design Group, Engineering Design Centre, Department of Engineering, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK; Department Anaesthetics, Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Cambridge, UK; NIHR Global Health Research Group on Acquired Brain and Spine Injury, University of Cambridge, UK; Technology and Systems Theme, Cambridge Public Health Interdisciplinary Research Centre, University of Cambridge, UKBad design in safety-critical environments like healthcare can lead to users being frustrated, excluded or injured. In contrast, good design can make it easier to use a service correctly, with impacts on both the safety and efficiency of healthcare delivery, as well as the experience of patients and staff. The participative dimension of design as an improvement strategy has recently gained traction in the healthcare quality improvement literature. However, the role of design expertise and professional design has been much less explored. Good design does not happen by accident: it takes expertise and the specific reasoning that expert designers develop through practical experience and training. Here, we define design, show why poor design can be disastrous and illustrate the benefits of good design. We argue for the recognition of distinctive design expertise and describe some of its characteristics. Finally, we discuss how design could be better promoted in healthcare improvement.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2514664524000067
spellingShingle Guillaume Lamé, PhD
Alexander Komashie, PhD
Carol Sinnott, MB, BAO, BCh, MMedSci, PhD, MICGP, MRCPI
Tom Bashford, MBBS MBiochem PhD MRCP FRCA
Design as a quality improvement strategy: The case for design expertise
Future Healthcare Journal
title Design as a quality improvement strategy: The case for design expertise
title_full Design as a quality improvement strategy: The case for design expertise
title_fullStr Design as a quality improvement strategy: The case for design expertise
title_full_unstemmed Design as a quality improvement strategy: The case for design expertise
title_short Design as a quality improvement strategy: The case for design expertise
title_sort design as a quality improvement strategy the case for design expertise
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2514664524000067
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