Design Thinking in Healthcare - From Problem to Innovative Solutions

This book offers basic knowledge on Design Thinking as a method, process and philosophy. It presents thoughtful Design Thinking case examples and tools for nurses and other healthcare professionals, researchers, students and educators to support their development as creative and transformative leaders in their fields.

Healthcare managers of the past viewed patients' needs merely as targets for population-level health outcomes to be validated in the final phases of developing interventions and services. Today we know better. Patients' needs and experiences should be viewed as sources of innovation at the front-end of the development process. It provides the basis for applying design thinking to develop better healthcare services and health tech applications.

Today, the success of any healthcare service depends on complex interactions between various stakeholders, and new solutions can only be delivered effectively through co-creative and collaborative efforts. Coordinating such efforts relies on strong concepts that can only result from properly run design processes, that this book describes in light of case studies around the world.

Design thinking is crucial generalist skill and is receiving increasing attention in the field, as forward-thinking organizations delve into the practice. It can change the way medical solutions are created and how clinical services are delivered. By driving innovation by means of empathy and practicality, design thinking provides tools for those seeking to drive radical renewal in the field.

Anni Pakarinen (PhD, MHSc, RN) is a Senior researcher and Research manager in Department of Nursing Science, University of Turku, Finland. Her research focuses on health promotion and digital interventions, particularly on serious games and gamified applications. She leads several digital health projects and is experienced in developing, evaluating and implementing interventions for health. During recent years, she has been involved in planning and organizing several international and multiprofessional Design thinking courses at the University of Turku.
Thomas Lemström (MSc.eng., strategy) works as a business design advisor for teams creating new products, services, and content that drive innovative change in healthcare. His experiences in health innovation include founding a biotech company, running an EU-funded productization clinic, consulting in healthcare management, and serving as a business design advisor for researchers and developers of medical technologies.
Eeva Rainio (PhD) is Head of Faculty Development at the Faculty of Medicine, University of Turku, Finland. She has a PhD in molecular biology, and she has been working in university administration since 2010, first in MSc and doctoral program coordination, and then with strategic development, innovations and business collaboration. She has also played a significant role in introducing Design Thinking to the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Turku, after her visit in Stanford d.school in 2019.

Eriikka Siirala (PhD, MHSc, RN) is an innovation specialist in research services in Turku University Hospital. In addition, she also works part-time in the educational development of the SPARK Finland programme. Her research focuses on nurse managers decision making and information needs in perioperative settings. Siirala got inspired to use design thinking after a visit to Stanford d.school and she has been involved in design thinking courses at the university and also in the hospital.