Using Human-Centered Design Thinking to Develop A Resilience Model for Healthcare Emergency Management

Background/Purpose

We describe the novel use of Human-Centered Design by an interprofessional team including nurses, designers and healthcare emergency managers to develop a new resilience-based framework for healthcare emergency management encompassing intelligence, decision-making, response readiness and rebounding.   

Methods

Human-Centered Design is an approach and methodology to creating innovative solutions with a focus on designing with people, rather than for people. This approach combines a process that utilizes Design Thinking and Participatory Design Research methods in order to empower the people who ultimately use a product, service, or system—along with those who have the most to gain or lose—to collaboratively create positive impactt, innovation and improve quality of life.

In 2013, a parntership of nurses, designers, and other healthcare emegency management professionals utilized Human-Centered Design to build a new resilience framework for two major healthcare systems. The need for such a framework arose out of cultural and systematic challenges preventing full adoption and implementation of a traditional emergency management program in these facilities.

Results/Outcomes 

The resilience framework developed with these facilities led to successful adoption and implementation of robust emergency management programs that met or exceeded state and federal standards. Because the framework was designed in partnership with constituents, as opposed to traditional development through committee work or by administrative edict, diffusion of the program was more effective than previous attempts in these facilities.

Conclusions

Using a Human-Centered Design approach enabled diverse stakeholders to co-design a new resilience-based framework for healthcare emergency management that resulted in better diffusion and successful implementation in two healthcare organizations.