Co-creating health: navigating a design for health collaboration

Abstract

We drew on the principles of co-autoethnography to explore the experiences of two multidisciplinary university-based teams engaged in design for health work: (1) a design team embedded in a hospital consisting of designers and social researchers; and (2) a person-centred rehabilitation research team of health researchers and professionals. We explored ‘how might our experience of working in design for health inform how we work more effectively together?’ Written reflections provided by contributors from each team and a transcript of a group discussion were analysed drawing on conventional content analysis. We identified that design for health collaborations are often surrounded by substantial challenges and tensions that are perpetuated through: (1) A clash of worlds and disciplines; and (2) Constraining systems and structures. A shared sense of excitement, hope, and passion for the possibility that a design for health collaboration brings were also identified, as was the need for risk-taking. This work will have practical utility for those commencing work in this complex, transdisciplinary space. We propose successful design for health collaborations are conditional on three core processes: (1) Understanding psychosocial contexts; (2) Building connectivity; and (3) Building capability. These should be enacted through collaborative discussion at the initiation of each new collaborative project.

Keywords:

• Co-autoethnography
• transdisciplinary collaboration
• connectivity
• capability

Acknowledgements

We are grateful to our colleagues Joanna Fadyl, Suzie Mudge, Lauren Stewart, Reid Douglas, and Nick Hayes for contributing to this research through written self-reflection and participation in the group discussion.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This research was supported by The Royal Society of New Zealand's Catalyst: Seeding fund provided by the New Zealand Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment and administered by the Royal Society Te Apārangi and Auckland University of Technology Strategic Research Investment Funding.

Notes on contributors

Ivana Nakarada-Kordic

Ivana Nakarada-Kordic is a design for health researcher at Good Health Design, Auckland University of Technology (AUT). Her current research focuses on the potential of human-centred design to support and enhance health and wellbeing, including developing and applying creative and empathetic human-centred approaches and methodologies for researching complex experience problems and facilitating the sharing of knowledge between designers and non-designers.

Nicola Kayes

Nicola Kayes is Professor of Rehabilitation and Director, Centre for Person Centred Research at Auckland University of Technology (AUT). Her research draws insights from the intersection between health psychology and rehabilitation. Her recent research has focussed on understanding aspects of person-centred practice, therapeutic relationship, behaviour change and engagement, and implementing related strategies into practice to improve outcomes that matter to people.

Stephen Reay

Stephen Reay is a Professor, School of Art and Design and Director of Good Health Design at AUT – a design studio that has been initiated to more effectively explore how to bring together the fields of design and health and to help students better understand how they can engage with design processes in the area of health and wellbeing.

Jill Wrapson

Jill Wrapson is a researcher with a background in the social history of medicine, although the majority of her work has involved contemporary health. Recent research has focussed on exploring the impact having a complex medical condition has on social relationships.

Guy Collier

Guy Collier is an interdisciplinary researcher with a background in sociology, comparative religion, and medical anthropology. He is part of the Good Health Design team at AUT’s School of Art and Design. His work focuses on the importance of understanding ‘culture’ in the context of design, particularly in the area of health and wellbeing.