| dc.description.abstract | The Swedish health and medical care system is said to be undergoing
a paradigm shift. The emerging paradigm involves a new
generation of business models that have their foundation in user
needs. The organizational idea in this view is the perception that a
greater value will be created when combining efforts that otherwise
would not be systematically linked. Projects aimed at developing
user-centered systems, however, face the risk of the so-called
‘project death’, as they often only exists during a limited period and
rarely reach the full maturation and establishment of an ordinary
organisational activity.
We have during the course of four months actively explored how
Service Design practices might enhance user-centered healthcare
projects, through conducting a practical study for improving the
overall support for parents with overweight and obese children. It
has been a collaborative project between the two pediatric obesity
centres in Sweden, at Sahlgrenska Academy in Gothenburg and
Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, and the Service Design agency
Transformator Design, a company with 15 years of experience
within the practice.
By applying Service Design tools, methods, and mindset, we have
been able to understand the care support from a user-centered
perspective and represent the user’s voice in our collaboration
with the client. We have used qualitative research methods, e.g.
interviews and workshops, in order to reach a deeper understanding
of the user experience. Following Service Design practice as a
co-creative process, the study has been based on a participatory
mindset in the interactions and relationship with the stakeholders.
From the practical study we could observe that the practices of
Service Design contribute outcomes on both a tangible and intangible
levels. These levels are equally important in a user-centered
healthcare project as they address not only issues of the service in
relation to the user, but also to the management and organisational
activities that create the service. | sv |
