Working From Within: The Rural Community Participatory Design Framework

This article describes the development of the rural community-based participatory design framework to guide healthcare design teams in their integration of rural community and clinical voice during the planning, design, and construction of a healthcare facility.

Rural communities are facing an alarming rate of healthcare facility closures, provider shortages, and dwindling resources, which are negatively impacting population health outcomes. A prioritized focus on rural care access and delivery requires design teams to have a deeper understanding of the contextual considerations necessary for a successful healthcare facility project, made possible through engagement and partnership with rural dwelling community members and healthcare teams.

The rural community participatory design framework is adapted from the rural participatory research model, selected due to its capture of key concepts and characteristics of rural communities. Underpinning theories included rural nursing theory and theory of the built environment.

The framework encompasses healthcare facility project phases, key translational concepts, and common traits across rural communities and cultures. As a middle-range theoretical framework, it is being tested in a current healthcare project with a Critical Access Hospital in Montana to facilitate design team and stakeholder collaboration.

The rural community participatory design framework may be utilized by design teams as a means of familiarization with rural cultures, norms, values, and critical needs, which relate to meaningful design. The framework further enables design teams to critically appraise best practices of stakeholder engagement throughout the project lifecycle.