Design Theory for Health Care Solutions

This two-day course aims to equip physicians, nurses, social workers, therapists, and other health care professionals with the skills necessary to identify challenges and develop innovative solutions in health care using Design Theory for Health Care Solutions.

Participants will engage in a structured, hands-on learning experience that fosters problem-solving through an iterative and collaborative approach. The course will guide them through the five stages of Design Thinking:

1. Empathy – Encouraging participants to challenge assumptions, defer judgment, and deeply understand end users' perspectives and lived experiences (patients, families, and caregivers).
2. Define – Framing the problem based on insights gained from the empathy stage, ensuring a clear and actionable problem statement.
3. Ideate – Facilitating brainstorming sessions where teams generate a range of possible solutions without limitations.
4. Prototype – Encouraging teams to develop tangible representations of their solutions for real-world application.
5. Test & Iterate – Gathering feedback from testing and refining solutions through an ongoing, non-linear, and iterative process.

A key focus of this course is Human-Centered Design, which expands problem-solving beyond individual users to consider community and societal impact. Participants will explore creating ethical, just, sustainable, and responsible solutions while anticipating unintended consequences.

Through collaborative breakout sessions, teams will apply these concepts to an agreed-upon health care challenge. The course culminates in a solution pitch, where teams present their ideas and receive constructive feedback from peers.

By the end of this course, participants will have developed a practical understanding of Design Theory as a tool for driving transformation in health care, empowering them to implement meaningful and impactful changes in their organizations.