Designing connection into healthcare services

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this article is to highlight the importance of the foundational construct of “connection” in linking design and service in performing vital functions in the healthcare sector. “Connection” facilitates patients receiving life-saving and life-improving care at the right time, in the right place, in the right way.

Design/methodology/approach

This article discusses various design-improvement initiatives making clear that healthcare, like any labor-intensive service delivered to people, is a human endeavor whose systems and features can be materially and cleverly enhanced once their intricacies are analyzed, understood and then redesigned to move closer to excellence.

Findings

By designing connection into healthcare and thinking holistically about the needs and preferences of users (patients), the functionality and the appeal of healthcare services can be enhanced.

Originality/value

The gap between the service that healthcare aims to deliver – and what it actually delivers – is unacceptably large. This article calls for incorporating connection through design into healthcare as a way to bridge this gap.

Citation

Berry, L.L. (2020), "Designing connection into healthcare services", Journal of Service Management, Vol. 31 No. 5, pp. 861-868. https://doi.org/10.1108/JOSM-01-2020-0026