Elements of Improving Quality and Safety in Healthcare Design Creativity

Design creativity describes the process by which needs are explored and translated into requirements for change. This Element examines the role of design creativity within the context of healthcare improvement. It begins by outlining the characteristics of design thinking, and the key status of the Double Diamond Model. It provides practical tools to support design creativity, including ethnographic/observational studies, personas and scenarios, and needs identification and requirements analysis. It also covers brainstorming, Disney, and six thinking hats techniques, the nine windows technique, morphological charts and product architecting, and concept evaluation. The tools, covering all stages of the Double Diamond model, are supported by examples of their use in healthcare improvement. The Element concludes with a critique of design creativity and the evidence for its application in healthcare improvement. This title is also available as Open Access on Cambridge Core.