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What would a medical device suite from Apple look like? More importantly, how would it feel?
When we think about the “why” of how we design products and services, our best work usually makes this planet a better place for all of us to live. Of course, not every product can make that claim, but with the design of medical products it’s almost built in. That said, especially with the constraints imposed by regulations, it’s to claim that our hands are tied and settle for a design compromise instead of looking for the best possible and most poetic answer. One day a hospital room will need to have the equivalently delightful experience of shopping in an Apple store.
It’s coming soon.
Hard to picture? Maybe so in the short term, but as we progress, patients no longer will be willing to accept a care system or the products within it that view them as passive recipients of treatment. Patient loyalty can mean the difference between success and failure for healthcare organizations. Gaining patient loyalty comes down to one core factor: the ability of healthcare organizations to consistently deliver positive patient experiences. Organizations that can do so will own the future of healthcare.
The adoption of a patient-centered care model is becoming the main focus of innovative healthcare organizations as accountability for clinical patient satisfaction continues to grow. Positive patient experiences are no longer a nicety for healthcare systems; they are an absolute necessity. We are seeing an industry wide consciousness shift of this understanding with the steady increase of CXOs (customer experience officers) being appointed to C-suite positions across major healthcare organizations.
The future of healthcare will be won by those who put patients first, who think about patients as customers of healthcare. Again, this core value— always put your users first—is long understood in the design community.
A good way to think about it is to design these experiences looking through three lenses: beauty, ingenuity and charisma.
While we may not often think of medical products as beautiful, there is no reason not to; their expression in form and detail have the power to inspire and comfort.Ingenuity solves for problems of use and manufacture, and charisma draws people to a product because of a true understanding of need.
The trick is an uncompromising commitment to all three lenses in every solution and product designed.
With the widespread consciousness shift seen in healthcare organizations toward understanding the importance of focusing on positive patient experience, I believe that this is incredibly exciting time for design leadership to be brought to the table.
Let me pose a final question, hinted at in the first paragraph: Suppose instead of computers, Apple decided to make medical devices. What would a medical device suite from Apple look like?
