Rebecca Partridge

Improving self-efficacy in spinal cord injury patients through "design thinking" rehabilitation workshops

Advances in surgical and medical management have significantly reduced the length of time that patients with spinal cord injury (SCI) have to stay in hospital, but has left patients with potentially less time to psychologically adjust. Following a pilot in 2012, this project was designed to test the effect of “design thinking” workshops on the self-efficacy of people undergoing rehabilitation following spinal injuries. Design thinking is about understanding the approaches and methods that designers use and then applying these to think creatively about problems and suggest ways to solve them. In this instance, design thinking is not about designing new products (although the approaches can be used to do this) but about developing a long term creative and explorative mind-set through skills such as lateral thinking, prototyping and verbal and visual communication. The principles of “design thinking” have underpinned design education and practice for many years, it is also recognised in business and innovation for example, but a literature review indicated that there was no evidence of it being used in rehabilitation or spinal injury settings. Twenty participants took part in the study; 13 (65%) were male and the average age was 37 years (range 16 to 72). Statistically significant improvements were seen for EQ-5D score (t = -3.13, p = 0.007) and Patient Activation Measure score (t = -3.85, p = 0.001). Other outcome measures improved but not statistically. There were no statistical effects on length of stay or readmission rates, but qualitative interviews indicated improved patient experience.

The TiM system: developing a novel telehealth service to improve access to specialist care in motor neurone disease using user-centered design

Abstract Objectives: Attendance at a specialist multidisciplinary motor neurone disease (MND) clinic is associated with improved survival and may also improve quality of life and reduce hospital admissions. However, patients struggle to travel to clinic and may experience difficulties between clinic visits that may not be addressed in a timely manner. We wanted to explore how we could improve access to specialist MND care. Methods: We adopted an iterative, user-centered co-design approach, collaborating with those with experience of providing and receiving MND care including patients, carers, clinicians, and technology developers. We explored the unmet needs of those living with MND, how they might be met through service redesign and through the use of digital technologies. We developed a new digital solution and performed initial testing with potential users including clinicians, patients, and carers. Results: We used these findings to develop a telehealth system (TiM) using an Android app into which patients and carers answer a series of questions about their condition on a weekly basis. The questions aim to capture all the physical, emotional, and social difficulties associated with MND. This information is immediately uploaded to the internet for review by the MND team. The data undergoes analysis in order to alert clinicians to any changes in a patient or carer’s condition. Conclusions: We describe the benefits of developing a novel digitally enabled service underpinned by participatory design. Future trials must evaluate the feasibility and acceptability of the TiM system within a clinical environment.

Communication of medical images to diverse audiences using multimodal imaging

A study has been completed examining design issues concerning the interpretation of and dissemination of multimodal medical imaging data sets to diverse audiences. To create a model data set mouse fibrosarcoma tissue was visualised via magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption/Ionisation-Mass Spectrometry (MALDI-MSI) and histology. MRI images were acquired using the 0.25T Esaote GScan; MALDI images were acquired using a Q-Star Pulsar I mass spectrometer. Histological staining of the same tissue sections used for MALDI-MSI was then carried out. Areas assigned to hemosiderin deposits due to haemorrhaging could be visualised via MRI. In the MALDI-MSI data obtained the distribution sphingomyelin species could be used to identify regions of viable tumour. Mathematical ‘up sampling’ using hierarchical clustering-based segmentation provided a sophisticated image enhancement tool for both MRI and MALDI-MS and assisted in the correlation of images.

Co-designing co-design. Shifting the culture of practice in healthcare

Abstract To date design applied in the context of health care has generally focused on the design of products. This paper describes a project ‘frailsafe’ and suggests that in the future design will play a new and increasingly important role in shifting the culture and the way that particular practices in health are performed. frailsafe is a project that aims to improve measured quality of care for frail older patients admitted to NHS hospitals with medical emergencies. The project provided a platform for multidisciplinary working and enhanced communication on what constitutes good care for older patients. The research exemplified the concept of ‘all teach, all learn’ where the design team engaged in the co-development with the frailsafe network of effective prototypes of frailsafe. Ultimately the objective was to empower hospital improvement teams to adopt a co-design culture for creative local implementation of frailsafe.

Understanding the Roles of the Designer in Health Care: A Practice-Based Study into Supporting Adolescents with Long-Term Conditions

Overview This paper reports on an ongoing PhD study based within Lab4Living, a transdisciplinary research group in design, health care and creative practice within Sheffield Hallam University’s Art & Design Research Centre. Increasingly, design is becoming a recognized activity within the context of health care, with an increase in the use of design methods and approaches in development and research. This ‘research through design’ study explores design practice and design thinking in health and well-being through the lens of the Pain Management Service at Sheffield Children’s Hospital (SCH). Through case studies with the therapists and the young people, the study seeks to understand the role of participatory design methods in service improvement, and to see if the transfer of design skills to adolescents within the service has an impact on their self-management.