Citation

Lamé G, Komashie A, Sinnott C, Bashford T. Future Healthc. J. 2024; 11(1): e100008.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2024, Royal College of Physicians)

DOI

10.1016/j.fhj.2024.100008

PMID

38646045

PMCID

PMC11025066

Abstract

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.

Language: en