Inclusive Priority Setting: Engaging Patients and the Public for Objective and Equitable Design Outcomes
Category: User-Centred Design · Effect: Moderate effect · Year: 2018
Structured engagement processes with patients and the public can lead to more inclusive and objectively based design priorities, promoting equity in stakeholder voices.
Design Takeaway
Design projects should integrate formal mechanisms for patient and public input to ensure priorities are user-driven, equitable, and strategically sound, while also planning for the logistical challenges of such engagement.
Why It Matters
Incorporating diverse user perspectives early in the design process ensures that solutions are relevant, desirable, and address the true needs of the intended audience. This approach mitigates the risk of developing products or services that fail to resonate or meet user expectations.
Key Finding
While patient and public engagement can lead to better, more equitable design priorities, there's a need for better evaluation of these processes and strategies to overcome practical challenges like coordination and resource constraints.
Key Findings
- Engagement processes can successfully set priorities that are inclusive and objectively based.
- Processes can be robust, strategic, and promote equity in patient voices.
- A lack of evaluation data on the success and extent of patient engagement is a significant limitation.
- Feasibility, coordination, communication, and resource limitations are common challenges.
Research Evidence
Aim: What are the key characteristics and outcomes of patient and public engagement processes in priority setting for design and development?
Method: Systematic Rapid Review
Procedure: A systematic rapid review of existing literature was conducted to identify and analyze various methods of patient and public engagement in priority setting processes.
Context: Healthcare and product/service development
Design Principle
User engagement in priority setting leads to more relevant and equitable design outcomes.
How to Apply
When initiating a new design project, establish a clear framework for involving target users and the public in defining project goals and priorities, allocating sufficient resources for communication and coordination.
Limitations
The review identified a general lack of robust evaluation data for engagement processes, making it difficult to definitively quantify success.
Student Guide (IB Design Technology)
Simple Explanation: Getting people who will use a product or service involved in deciding what's most important to design first helps make sure the final product is what people actually need and want.
Why This Matters: This research shows that involving users in the early stages of deciding what to design makes the design process more effective and fair.
Critical Thinking: How can design teams effectively overcome the identified limitations of feasibility, coordination, communication, and limited resources when implementing patient and public engagement strategies?
IA-Ready Paragraph: This study highlights the value of structured patient and public engagement in setting design priorities, emphasizing that such processes can lead to more inclusive, objective, and equitable outcomes. This underscores the importance of incorporating diverse user voices early in the design lifecycle to ensure relevance and user-centeredness.
Project Tips
- Clearly define who your target users are for engagement.
- Plan how you will gather and synthesize feedback from engaged stakeholders.
How to Use in IA
- Use this research to justify the importance of user research and stakeholder consultation in your design project's methodology section.
Examiner Tips
- Demonstrate a clear understanding of how user engagement directly influences design decisions and outcomes.
Independent Variable: Type and structure of patient/public engagement process
Dependent Variable: Inclusivity, objectivity, and equity of set priorities
Controlled Variables: Resource availability, coordination mechanisms, communication strategies
Strengths
- Systematic review methodology provides a broad overview of the literature.
- Focus on priority setting highlights a critical early stage in design.
Critical Questions
- What specific evaluation metrics are most effective for assessing the success of user engagement in priority setting?
- How can design teams best balance the need for inclusive engagement with practical constraints like time and budget?
Extended Essay Application
- An Extended Essay could explore the development and testing of a novel framework for patient and public engagement in a specific design context, evaluating its impact on priority setting.
Source
Patient and public engagement in priority setting: A systematic rapid review of the literature · PLoS ONE · 2018 · 10.1371/journal.pone.0193579