Patient Experts Improve Design Thinking
By: David Goldsmith, Chief Strategy Officer, WEGO Health
Are you ready to design with patients and not just for them? Then enter to win the “Flip the Patient Challenge”
Design thinking. It’s a methodology that has driven the success of some of the biggest and best-known consumer brands – from Airbnb and Apple to Netflix and IBM.
And now it’s getting attention among innovative connected health companies. If yours is one of them, you could win consulting services valued at $5,000 to support your next design thinking initiative.
We’ll tell you how in a minute, but first, some context.
A distinguishing characteristic of design thinking is that it’s a collaborative approach to problem solving. It focuses first and foremost on the end-user and relies heavily on empathy to provide context for the customer experience. In this regard, it’s especially powerful for connected health companies seeking to bring solutions to market that can claim to be truly human-centered.
To be successful, design thinking draws upon the creative juices of all the stakeholders who touch your product. That could include clinicians, health IT administrators, data scientists and, of course, patients.
And when it’s done well, design thinking brings all stakeholders into every phase of the design process – from discovery and ideation to prototyping and testing.
Here’s the rub. That’s not as easy as it sounds.
Even though patients and caregivers are frequently the end-users for connected health solutions, they are often left out of the design process. Sometimes they are an after-thought. Other times their role is confined to the discovery process, where they share some insights related to their patient journey and leave the rest of the design process up the “experts.”
It’s time to change that - which is why WEGO Health and PCHAlliance have teamed up to sponsor the “Flip the Patient Challenge.” We’re offering US-based PCHAlliance members the chance to win $5,000 in consulting services from one or more patient experts. Patient experts are key people with a unique ability to advance design thinking by virtue of:
- their patient experience,
- their subject matter expertise and
- their commitment to health care innovation
Take, for example, Kellee Franklin, a breast cancer survivor with a Ph.D. in Human Development and Organization Behavior and a former strategic innovation advisor with Booz Allen Hamilton. Following her battle with breast cancer in 2013, Kellee has become a recognized advocate for health systems innovation and patient-centered engagement.
Or consider Michael Mittelman, a digital health strategist with an MBA from Temple University. In addition to being a PCORI scholar with a certification in human-centered design from IDEO, Michael is a three-time transplant recipient. As you expect, Michael is passionate about improving the patient experience and service delivery design.
Kellee and Michael are among the more than 100,000 people who actively participate in WEGO Health’s Patient Leader Network, which is comprised of thought leaders, subject matter experts and health influencers across virtually every health condition and interest. They are individuals with the experiential expertise and skills to support every phase of the design thinking process.
And that’s where you come in.
If your company is prepared to “flip the patient” and bring people like Kellee and Michael to the table as collaborators in your design thinking process, this Challenge is for you. We are seeking proposals that demonstrate novel and inspiring new ways of working with patient experts on some aspect of your technology design, development and deployment. The winner will receive $5,000 in Patient Expert consulting fees through WEGO Health.
You must hurry – proposals are due Monday, February 19, 2018. The winner will be announced at HIMSS18 Connected Health Experience. Learn more by clicking here.
How will you incorporate patient experts into your design thinking?