Designing for wellbeing

understanding of each key stakeholder of the other perspectives present.
Therefore, the process of applying co-design methodology and gaining
insights into the world of each stakeholder afforded designers the advocacy
of the users, healthcare personnel and citizens.
In the no-show case, the co-design approach provided the insight that
the problem does not lie with just patient behaviour, but also in the way
the system forces healthcare personnel to communicate with patients.
Limited flexibility of patient database communication tools, the omnipresent
threat of fines for failure to cancel an appointment and the difficult
access to data for identifying high-probability no-shows created the
problem. The designers’ solution took a step towards system-level tools
that allow healthcare personnel to enrich their client interactions utilising
their experience and empathy.
Despite the regular contact between Neuvola personnel and mothers
through a series of predefined appointments, the nurses did not fully realise
the value to mothers of their face-to-face appointments. Influenced by
the system-level pressures of efficiency and budgetary limitations, and
observing their own busy schedules and struggle to keep up with paper
work, they agreed with the objective of freeing up resources by handing
off routine check-ups to the mothers themselves. However, after hearing
the mothers’ concerns, it became clear that the face-to-face meetings are
valuable for asking questions and sharing concerns. Gaining insights into
both sides of the story helped the designers to present a comprehensive
solution that didn’t replace the face-to-face dialogue but allowed mothers
to manage appointments to reduce the nurses’ paperwork.
The student health case solved the problem of early identification
of students at risk of chlamydia infection by creating a concept from a
patient-centred point of view that went beyond the reach of the on-site
nurses. One of the most valuable features of the concept is the possibility
to inform ex-partners anonymously. The proposed concept envisions campaign
materials that go where students gather, socialise and party, educating
141 · Reducing social distance through co-design