DesignLab
How do you engage with ‘user groups’ to explore solutions to new challenges – without replicating the past? In an uncertain landscape, bridging across silos of expertise among clinicians, executives, health systems, patients, payers, funders/investors, government and community leaders… requires a culture of collaboration.
Our collaborative Action Research approach to designing for change in health care is based on the premise that designing complex systems requires connection and interaction between and among a wide array of stakeholders, in order to create quality and value for all stakeholders.
We used the DesignLab successfully as part of the programming process for an innovative neighborhood health clinic. The result informed the Schematic Design and aligned with operational and business models to minimize the risk of conflicting stakeholder goals that might undermine the project’s success.
Designing for Safety and Quality
Safety and Quality in Health Care are the result of alignment of systems – Social, Technical, and Spatial. To design them well requires a collaborative, multidisciplinary team.
We are actively engaged as part of the professional community developing new guidelines and tools to help Health Care organizations and their design teams reduce costs and improve quality through alignment of operational and facilities design. Two products that Ron Smith has helped to create are:
Safety Risk Assessment Toolkit
NIOSH National Occupational Research Agenda
Design Consulting
di was Healthcare Design Consultant to TRMA for a $7.5M ICU/CCU, ED, Pharmacy expansion and upgrade. We advised on best practices, codes and standards related to healthcare design and hospital accreditation for the Guam Memorial Hospital Authority.
Completed in 2013.