The dialect of user-centered care: creating an understanding of how current design methods are used within health through an allied-health lens

ABSTRACT Current healthcare systems are increasingly strained to meet changing demands of longevity and the surfeit of the population’s complex and chronic diseases and disabilities. This paper aims to demonstrate how creativity through design methodologies can play a significant, positive role in improving patients’ daily lives within this complex area. Design and creativity are uniquely placed to have a valuable role in collaborating with healthcare professionals to find creative solutions to improve the effectiveness of healthcare systems and address future challenges, but barriers to interdisciplinary collaboration limit them. A literature review was conducted to understand the current impact of design methodologies used within allied health practice utilizing a synthesis matrix to identify and collate recurring themes over disparate articles. These themes were then analyzed and further researched to understand the tensions between health and design. The results established that this issue needed to be interpreted through the lens of a wicked problem. Accordingly, the parallels and tensions between the current paradigms of health and design were established, giving depth of meaning to the barriers and potential solutions. Whilst there is a need to explore this topic further, current thinking suggests a significant benefit from interprofessional collaboration and discussion.