Service Design as a Catalyst for Patient-Centered eHealth Innovation

TLDR

Healthcare faces many challenges, prompting a shift from standalone products to holistic services, especially in underserved settings. The study seeks to leverage design and ICT to improve integrated, people‑centered health services. Using a qualitative, co‑design approach with 47 stakeholders across six Nairobi slum health facilities, the authors developed a cloud‑based architectural framework and a prototype AfyaTab app for maternal care. The AfyaTab prototype demonstrates a proof‑of‑concept for the proposed cloud‑based maternal care service.

Abstract

Today's healthcare industry is confronted with a myriad of challenges amidst emerging trends and opportunities which trigger a paradigm shift in healthcare design from stand-alone products to holistic services. These three dimensions are critical in assessing and managing healthcare, particularly in underserved settings. This study aims to maximize opportunities presented by both design and information and communication technologies to enhance the implementation of integrated people-centered health services. It is a qualitative study conducted across six government health facilities within Nairobi slums in Kenya as a case study of maternal health information services. Co-design-oriented service design research strategy is employed while a representative sample of (n=47) participants is drawn from different stakeholders in the public health sector. An architectural design framework for cloud-based patient-centered health information service is designed to support maternal care in underserved settings. A prototype service (AfyaTab app) is developed as a proof-of-concept of the proposed design solution.