Patient Co-Creation: Chronic Disease
Problem statement: Our client was seeking to better understand the unmet needs of people living with Type 2 Diabetes.
Approach: We convened a diverse group of people living with Type 2 Diabetes for a co-creation workshop. It was important that the participants first understood that we had no intention of treating them like subjects to be studied (ie: focus group technique). Instead, we created the workshop using human centered design. Listening and learning about lived experiences was prioritized. Prior to the workshop, our team created a sensitizing document to help participants prepare cognitively and emotionally for the themes that would be explored in the workshop. During the workshop, participants worked on story boarding and empathy mapping to share what happens at the very beginning of the journey. Participants were provided with a variety of different materials to enable sketching, colour coding priority areas, thought bubbles etc. An emotions wheel was available to help people access and record various feelings in moments of time.
Participants were free to contribute as much or as little as they felt and open to ask and discuss with peers. Common feelings were observed in different moments of time.
The second part of workshop participants used journey maps to discuss experiences while seeking information or knowledge, engagements with health care practitioners, resources that were valuable or missing and the feelings that accompanied these experiences over time. Groups explored differences in health literacy, understanding or the value of some recommendations, various beliefs and misconceptions emerged that were disconnected from their own real life experiences. Capabilities, opportunities, motivators and behaviours were also explored using JTBD and COM-B frameworks.
Impact: Creating an inclusive and caring space for people to share experiences and discuss real world challenges and successes was received with gratitude. Sharing and learning from each other helped each participants and our client, discover the deep emotional impact of living with Type 2 Diabetes. Having people create together, provided a greater level of depth and detail in key areas of opportunity for improvements. The ideation co-design provided many examples of ideas that support people’s needs in the context of their lives and capabilities.
Each participant indicated they would like to participate in future sessions and appreciate the workshop activities that were designed for the workshop. Many ideas were generated for our client that will guide the development of new resources, programs and tools to support the needs of this patient population.
Our client has learned that designing from the ‘outside-in’ helps us innovate and will ensure value co-creation for the value proposition.