Episode 21: Design to Empower

In this episode, Dr Claudia Steinke introduces elements of service design that can help empower patients in the healthcare system, especially within emergency departments. Claudia uses a modified version of the Service Profit Chain model to explore the design of services in healthcare from a Structure, Process, Outcome perspective. She discusses the use of terms such as health “care” vs. health “service” and “patient” vs. “client”, and how these can re-frame the way people think about our healthcare system. Although patients’ main concern when they seek healthcare is for a positive clinical outcome, the provision of “service” itself is another dimension through which we can assess quality. Examples of service quality include promptly responding to patients’ needs and answering their questions in a clear, friendly, and culturally relevant manner.

Claudia shares a number of anecdotes from her research, giving us insight into aspects of healthcare service beyond the technical features that affect patients’ experiences within the healthcare system.

After listening to  this podcast, listeners will be able to:
1.  Describe the benefits of looking to the fields of service management, business, and architecture to design healthcare services
2.  Discuss how physical design can facilitate service quality, patient satisfaction, and patient empowerment
3.  Consider how empowering patients can lead them to take ownership of their individual health and well-being

Claudia Steinke, PhD
Claudia has a BSc in Nursing from the University of British Columbia, an MSc in Management from the University of Lethbridge, and has completed her PhD in Business and Public Administration from the University of Victoria. Her research focus is at the intersection of five fields of study including Health Care, Organizational Theory and Design, Organizational Behaviour, Service Management, and Architecture. Claudia has a special interest in applying a services management perspective to the design and delivery of services in health care and in this podcast she will be discussing one of her other areas of interest: empowering patients through service design.