Involving Health Care Professionals in the Human-Centered Design of a Digital Platform for Work-Focused Health Care:...

Area of Science:

• Health Informatics
• Human-Computer Interaction
• Healthcare Management

Background:

• Effective collaboration across healthcare sectors is crucial for value-based care.
• Traditional separation of occupational and curative healthcare hinders communication and collaboration.
• Digital collaborative care platforms offer a solution to fragmented work-focused healthcare.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine healthcare professionals' experiences during the human-centered design (HCD) of a digital collaborative care platform.
• To understand professionals' perceptions of a participatory design approach.

Main Methods:

• Mixed-methods study combining observations of 17 design sessions and semistructured interviews.
• Involved occupational physicians, insurance physicians, medical specialists, and general practitioners.

Main Results:

• Professionals were motivated by professional interest and desire to improve practice.
• Valued open atmosphere, practical input, and clear goals; identified barriers like limited time and virtual interaction constraints.
• Positive experiences included a sense of impact, active engagement, and constructive feedback.

Conclusions:

• Healthcare professionals appreciated collaborative design involvement, but facilitation quality was key.
• Structured design sessions with clear expectations, preparation, and follow-up enhance co-creation for digital health platforms.