Discover
Background
Early Context
- Record number of ambulances queue at A&E
- Ambulances taking 90 minutes to get to 999 calls
- 'My dying husband could not get an ambulance'
- As aging intensifies and susceptibility to chronic diseases increases, the NHS system, designed 75 years ago, struggles to cope with current and future health challenges. People face challenges in accessing high-quality and timely health care.
- At the same time, the UK government is under financial pressure. While maintaining the NHS budget, it has cut the budgets of local authorities. The services of local authorities cover expenditures such as public health, social care, transportation, housing, and environment, all of which are 'social determinants of health'.
The Challenge
How can we cope with the current situation, and intervene through design to help alleviate the pressure on the NHS?
Early Strategy
- Strategy: Follow the design process of the double diamond model, guided by evidence-based design.
- Methodology/Tools: Case study, questionnaire, observation, in-depth interview, culture probe.
The first round of research - Community-centered attempts
After conducting a series of desk research, including analyzing the current and past strategies of the NHS, analyzing existing policies, studying healthcare systems in other countries, and reviewing third-party research on the NHS, we have gained several insights:
- We believe that instead of 'fixing' the NHS, what is more essential is to fundamentally rethink how we approach health. Specifically, we should adopt a 'proactive health' approach that enables citizens to attain health, rather than depending solely on treatment.
Proactive health definition: Active health implies individuals having stronger self-repair and organizational abilities, greater physiological reserves, and higher levels of life satisfaction, resulting in positive physiological and psychological states. It stimulates the body's self-organizing capabilities to eliminate diseases and promote health. It focuses on controlling health risk factors, deepening health concepts, enabling citizens to understand health, possesses basic health knowledge and skills, and thus achieve self-regulation and health management.
- People's participation in community-centred health management services is low.
The second round of research - Priority family-centered
Family is the most detailed and impactful entry point for individuals to make changes in their health behaviours.
We have conducted an analysis of the key influencing factors and challenges that impact individuals' proactive health management behaviours from perspectives such as personal behaviour, industry status, and social environment. We have also considered the value of the family setting in addressing these challenges and identified opportunities for intervention within the family context.
Family members can support and nurture each other at various stages of life, and the ability of families to nurture, care for, protect, educate, and influence makes them an effective entry point for promoting and maintaining individual and collective health. They are also an important component of public health practices.
