November 2019 | Course provided by +Acumen and IDEO.org through NovoEd
True patient centred care is a great example of human centred design.
Always thirsty for knowledge, Caitlin is passionate about expanding her mindset and keeping up to date with the world of care. Her recently completed Human Centred design course provided an introduction to the methods and tools of human-centered design, while tackling a real-world design challenge.
Method
CareFully interviewed cancer patients, their carers, family and friends, alongside cancer health care professionals to find out what factors influenced compassionate communication.
Gaining further insight, CareFully interviewed psychologists and communication experts, all of whom had been touched by cancer or worked in the cancer space.
CareFully team members are immersed in context - they have either had cancer or cared for those with cancer.
CareFully sought out analogous inspiration. Our team took notes of interactions in our daily lives where compassionate communication took place. We found that certain businesses provided fabulous customer service, which ultimately involved excellent communication. The result? This made us feel cared about.
Findings
Excellent customer service makes people feel cared about.
How might CareFully impart excellent customer service skills to healthcare professionals?
If people are curious then compassionate body language and communication will naturally follow.
How might CareFully help healthcare professionals (or friends/family) be curious about their cancer patients?
People place more emphasis on technical skills, soft skills are often ignored. It is not standard to upskill, or provide feedback on staff’s communication skills.
How might CareFully build self awareness in staff (or friends/family) on the impact of their communication style?
Insight into Care
Responses from participants in CareFully’s 2019 Human Centred Design Course Research
“Compassionate care for me has been the ability of medical staff to really listen to my concerns and fears, and to re-assure when appropriate. It is always good to feel there is time to really talk things over.”
“Nursing staff were compassionate not condescending, always seeing my mum as a worthy person: worthy of time, attention and visibility. I felt they really saw her not just her diagnosis.”
“Be conversational and social, don’t make patients feel small.”
“Patients can feel marginalised and powerless. ..Talk to them like they are healthy and ‘normal’ and treat them as an equal.”
“Building rapport and being genuinely interested made such a difference.”
“The use of touch and eye contact, and genuine interest in how I was, made me feel cared about…. The little acts of kindness made all the difference.”
“Meet the patient where they are at, make it ok with how they feel, but also give them somewhere else to go.”
“Treat the appointment like a first date…Find out the patients likes, dislikes, interests, communication preferences, and boundaries. Recognise that it is the start of a relationship and act accordingly.”
“All the staff were so friendly…the receptionist was always smiling and happy, which lifted my mood as soon as I walked in.”
