The Development of a Methodology for Contextual User Research in Healthcare Design Projects

The impact of human factors in the usage of medical devices and delivery of healthcare is increasingly being recognized as a significant contributor to patient experience and safety. This paper presents a methodology for undertaking contextual user research during healthcare design projects (in home, primary or acute care settings) by which all relevant human factors of a procedure can be recorded, documented and analyzed. An innovative method of graphically representing the results of this analysis is proposed which visualizes the interactions and interdependencies between all stakeholders and artefacts involved in a procedure and the environment in which it takes place. The proposed methodology is intended to assist researchers, designers, architects and healthcare professionals during the research phase of a healthcare design project to reveal user needs, identify potential risks, provide documentation for regulatory adherence and inform the development of a comprehensive and inclusive design brief. The paper presents the context and development of this systematic process, which draws on empirical and theoretical methodologies, a studio based pedagogy, and the experience of delivering real-world educational design projects in partnership with healthcare clinicians and medical device companies. It also highlights the capacity for this form of learning to align with Universal Design for Learning (UDL) principles. The application of the methodology has the ability to extract key environmental, user and human factors insights. Most importantly, these insights can inform the design process, positively impact on patient experience and safety through improvements in device development and care delivery, and enable the creation of more inclusive and accessible healthcare solutions.