About
More than 300.000 people in Denmark are living with diabetes, 80% of these are diagnosed with diabetes 2. The increasing number of patients creates new challenges from both a healthcare and a socioeconomic perspective.
Too often patients from ethnic minorities face obstacles due to the language barriers, differences in the food culture and social settings on top of other complications such as blindness, heart disease, kidney issues, and so on.
In collaboration with CHC, this project aimed to design a service system to support non-ethnic Danish citizens who are diagnosed with diabetes 2.
The overall scope is to prevent diabetes by promoting healthier lifestyles and thus, bring down costs for treatments and complications.
Process
As a start, we used qualitative and quantitative research methods to define the target group. Through desk research, an online survey and interviews with stakeholders we explored the various service offerings and we mapped the current patient journey, highlighting the main pain points and inefficiencies.
Based on our findings, we used visual exercises and sketching sessions to brainstorm concept ideas. Then, we clustered and combined the most interesting features in a final concept.
We created design games and filmed a video as a way to prototype and test the service concept.
Throughout the process we involved a general practitioner, a researcher, a nurse, the leader of motivational groups at the Danish Diabetes Association, and a manager of phone support line for ethnic minorities. The stakeholders provided us with meaningful feedbacks that have been used for the development of the concept.
Outcome
The big challenge for patients lies in the self-treatment which is why the project focused on creating a service system to strengthen the motivation and self-involvement of the target group and support them in taking control over their disease and make the necessary changes in their lives.
The service system consists of four main pillars:
Peers who create trust through a close, but professional relationship;
Events that motivate the patients and gets them in contact with others with the same difficulties, within their community;
An app designed to help and support the patient in everyday situations;
Targeted communication material, that takes the target groups culture and way of life into consideration.
As a final deliverable, we visualized the new service systems through a backstage blueprint, showing the infrastructure steps before the lunch of the service, and a frontstage blueprint, mapping actors, actions and interactions from the diagnosis to the management of the disease.
Frontstage & Backstage of the service
