Designing for wellbeing

various healthcare units while being applicable on a broad scale. It should
also be universal enough to be used by many units while specific enough
to serve particular needs.
Starting from the initial thought of an SMS reminder, the students 4 started
working with two clinics: a unit doing routine eye screening examinations
for diabetics and an ambulant psychiatry clinic. Based on discussions in
these units, a series of interviews and a literature review, it became apparent
that the reasons for no-shows are too complex to be solved by sending a
default reminder message. Not showing up for appointments is often related
to the client’s health condition, life situation or lack of awareness of the
scarcity of the allocated resources. The designers identified that existing
patient data in combination with the clinics’ locally gained insights could
be used more effectively to identify potential no-show cases and assist
them in making their appointments.
The students’ concept (page 130) is based on a three-stage development
process. In its first stage, existing communication material is given
a makeover. A “No-Show Toolkit” enables clinics to design their own info
letters, appointment cards, reminder postcards and so on, based on their
specific needs. The new materials reduce no-shows by reminding and
encouraging patients. In the second stage, the patient database is improved
to make communication and scheduling easier for staff. A smart scheduling
system suggests the best appointment times based on the patient
information, including the patient’s no-show history, which is currently
recorded but not systematically used. Clinic staff retain the freedom to
organise scheduling according to local processes, and the system supports
their work. Finally, in the third stage, the group envisioned a future system
that enables patients to see their own healthcare history. The interface
displays data on missed appointments and provides staff with scheduling
tools for efficient and accurate management of patient communication.
4 Group ”No-show”: Lu Hu, Sanna Petlin and Antero Vanhala.
132 · Reducing social distance through co-design