Using Human-Centered Design to Enhance Family Practices and Healthcare Seeking in the DRC
Client: Breakthrough ACTION | Year: 2020
Context
In collaboration with Breakthrough ACTION, our team undertook a pivotal role in driving healthcare improvements within three provinces of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Building on the foundation of intensive user research and a prototyping and testing phase, our mission was to enhance health service delivery in these provinces. This initiative was aligned with a national campaign supported by the Ministry of Health, aiming to encourage essential family practices and healthcare seeking behaviors.
Goals
Our primary goal was to revolutionize the delivery of health services by employing human-centered design principles and insights gathered from local contexts. We aimed to translate user needs into actionable interventions that empower health community workers and promote beneficiary well-being.
Methods
Informed by insights from extensive field research conducted prior to my involvement, we embarked on a process of co-creation and implementation refinement. Guided by human-centered design principles, we honed in on crafting implementation guides and data collection notebooks. These tools were meticulously designed to provide structured guidance for health community workers, facilitating the collection of valuable feedback directly from beneficiaries.
My role in this phase of the project was instrumental. I took the insights gleaned from prior research and translated them into practical, user-friendly resources. I contributed to the development of the implementation guides and data collection notebooks, ensuring that they effectively empowered health community workers to gather meaningful insights.
Outcome
The data collected through the notebooks underwent rigorous analysis, driving iterative refinements of the interventions. With an evidence-based approach, the enhanced interventions were successfully scaled across the targeted provinces. The tangible impact was palpable, leading to notable improvements in health service delivery and elevated beneficiary satisfaction levels.
Through our strategic involvement, we significantly contributed to the Ministry of Health's ongoing endeavors to elevate healthcare quality and responsiveness to community needs in the DRC. This project exemplifies the power of human-centered design to create meaningful transformations within healthcare systems and foster holistic well-being.
