Human centered design workshops as a meta-solution to diagnostic disparities

Area of Science:

• Healthcare Quality and Safety
• Human-Centered Design
• Health Equity

Background:

• Diagnostic errors, including inaccurate or delayed diagnoses, pose significant risks and costs to patients and healthcare systems.
• Diagnostic disparities disproportionately affect specific patient subgroups, exacerbating health inequities based on factors like age, sex, or race/ethnicity.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and test the feasibility of a human-centered design (HCD) workshop series.
• To engage diverse stakeholders in creating solutions to mitigate diagnostic disparities.

Main Methods:

• A series of four human-centered design workshops were conducted between 2019-2021.
• Methods included co-creation sessions, rapid prototyping, semi-structured interviews, and literature evidence scans.
• Participants comprised patients, clinicians, and researchers.

Main Results:

• The workshops generated eight design challenges and 29 solution concepts.
• A total of 37 solutions for addressing diagnostic disparities were conceptualized, with prototypes developed for two solutions.
• Participants found the workshop processes replicable and adaptable for generating context-specific solutions.

Conclusions:

• Human-centered design workshops offer a viable approach for engaging stakeholders to mitigate diagnostic disparities.
• Applying HCD principles can guide improvements in diagnostic performance and prioritize diverse patient needs in quality and safety initiatives.