DON't WAIT, INNOVATE! - Combining Design Thinking WITH SCIENCE
The level of suffering seen in emergency rooms and hospitals during the peak of the 2009/10 flu pandemic was saddening but highly instructive. Not only those infected were suffering, but also those seeking help because of fear and anxiety. In 2011, when many had reached a phase of 'post-pandemic fatigue', many were still unprotected and at risk, especially pregnant women and children. While children are among the most severely affected, they are also the most avid transmitters of reparatory infections with the least access to timely treatment, especially in developing countries. Alternative prevention methods such as respiratory masks and hand washing are of little use in children. Research has shown that there are two key information sources to which parents turn for advice: first, their doctor and second, the internet. Medical doctors are key informants, not only to patients and concerned parents, but also to the media and general public – giving them a central role in the 'health communication chain'.
The Advanced Track Design Thinking Project in collaboration with the HPI School of Design Thinking at the University of Potsdam, Germany resulted in a number of disruptive innovations, which were subsequently prototyped, iterated, implemented and validated by the Vienna Vaccine Safety Initiative.
The Design Thinking process was published in Current Drug Safety.
The Advanced Track Design Thinking Project in collaboration with the HPI School of Design Thinking at the University of Potsdam, Germany resulted in a number of disruptive innovations, which were subsequently prototyped, iterated, implemented and validated by the Vienna Vaccine Safety Initiative.
The Design Thinking process was published in Current Drug Safety.