Thoughts on Health Experience Design from #HXD2020

I’ve always enjoyed the Health Experience Design Conference, as it rather seamlessly merges the topics of patient/member experience (which I like to think I know well) as well as user experience research and behavior change design (which I know I do not know well but find fascinating nonetheless). On top of the content, which has inspired my writing more than once (look here and here), the event has yielded a fair number of professional and personal connections that I maintain many years later.

This year’s event pivoted to a 100% virtual format in a matter of weeks. On top of that, the discussion clearly pivoted as well, with the widespread and clearly long-term impact of COVID-19 becoming a focal point of many conversations. We heard about the impact of loneliness, the stress of the unpaid and unappreciated caregiver, the importance of shared decision-making, and the role of design in physical spaces — valuable topics at any time but all the more important these days.

Here’s a recap of the anecdotes, sessions, and concepts that caught my attention. (The #HXD2020 conversation on Twitter captured more insight as well.)

Empathy is at the center of HXD every year, and that was even more readily apparent in 2020. In this case, it’s not just the sort of empathy where you put yourselves in someone else’s shoes. It’s taking steps to show that you accept and respect another person’s point of view. It’s not just describing yourself as an ally; it’s actively using LGBTQ imagery on your websites. it’s not just saying that you are a patient-centric organization; it’s incorporating the patient experience into every part of the design of the digital and physical space.

Speaking of which, physical spaces hold power. People who go to a hospital or doctor’s office are vulnerable. They are sick; they have questions; they are afraid. Foreboding buildings with cold floors, bare walls, spartan exam rooms, and poor lighting aren’t going to make patients feel any better. Spaces for providing care — especially for and when people are feeling their worst — should be designed to put people at ease. (I would add that you need to walk a line between inviting and gaudy. Large windows for natural light? Sure. Big-screen TVs to welcome and educate patients? OK. Waterfalls? No.)

And as you consider those physical spaces, it’s important to design for equity. Mary Brown of Spectrum Health described how so, so many patients have been marginalized by the interwoven “systems” around them: Education, transportation, criminal justice, housing, labor, financial markets, and so on. Health care institutions need to view health, and care, through the lens of equity. Even when social determinants of health have been removed, the impact of marginalization due to the longstanding effects of SDoH will remain.

We are lonely. Dr. Danielle Ramo of Hopelab and UCSF Psychiatry presented research showing that college students, despite the connections that technology enables, feel disconnected. Obviously, the last month-plus of social distancing has made everyone feel disconnected. One important point from Ramo: Loneliness exists on a continuum, like many elements of mental health and well-being. Some days it’s worse than others; some people feel it more than others; sometimes it hits harder, even when circumstances seem to suggest that it shouldn’t.

Figure out what people need. Groundbreaking, no? But it gets to the heart of health care’s biggest challenges: Insurance products, digital health apps, clinical services, physical spaces, educational materials, and countless other offerings that are often well-intentioned but don’t actually meet the needs of patients, their caregivers, and their families. (I say “figure out” instead of “ask” because it’s important to recognize that not everyone is in a position to provide an answer if you ask a question, and you may need to do some further investigation.)

One more thing: The Center for Health Experience Design is hosting a challenge called Innovation at Home: Solutions for a Pandemic. The Center seeks create solutions to educate folks on two important measures for maintaining health: Washing your hands and not touching your face. (I did my part by shaving the social distancing beard that I would stroke whenever I was in deep thought. I’m often in deep thought, so this was A Big Deal.) Check it out if that’s your thing.