A Call for Intersectional Healthcare Design Research

Area of Science:

• Healthcare Design Research
• Health Equity
• Sociocultural Factors in Healthcare

Background:

• Most patient experience research originates from Western contexts, lacking cultural and demographic diversity.
• This limits the applicability of findings to diverse global healthcare systems and populations.
• Current practices risk creating healthcare environments that do not meet users' sociodemographic needs.

Purpose of the Study:

• To highlight the need for culturally diverse patient experience research.
• To advocate for healthcare design that addresses and mitigates health inequalities.
• To promote open sharing of research methods, ethics, and comparative studies in healthcare design.

Main Methods:

• The study emphasizes the critical need for repeating research across varied sociocultural conditions.
• It calls for the open publication and discussion of design decisions and comparative studies.
• Focus on creating a discourse around methods, ethics, and cross-cultural research in healthcare design.

Main Results:

• Healthcare design research must be contextually relevant to be effective.
• Culturally sensitive design can help reduce health inequalities within healthcare facilities.
• Lack of diverse research leads to uncertainty about design effectiveness in non-Western settings.

Conclusions:

• Healthcare design research requires broader cultural and demographic representation.
• Design interventions can play a role in reducing health disparities within healthcare environments.
• Establishing a global discourse on intersectional healthcare design research is crucial for equitable outcomes.