Open Collections

Guo, Yi Peng (Ellen)

University of British Columbia

Background and Purpose: This study highlights the importance of incorporating healthcare staff's expertise and experience into the design of digital applications (apps). Despite the potential benefits, staff participation in co-design activities has been limited due to difficulties in reaching and engaging them. The Covid-19 pandemic has presented new challenges, but also opportunities for researchers to adapt and conduct co-design. The purpose of this study is to explore the experiences of healthcare staff during the pandemic and identify any barriers or facilitators that may have impacted their participation in co-design activities. Methods: The method used in this study was Interpretive Description, which is a qualitative research approach that aims to understand and interpret the experiences of the participants. The study recruited 12 interdisciplinary healthcare staff from a long-term care (LTC) unit and an acute care unit in Vancouver, Canada, who participated in co-designing a digital app for dementia care. The study was guided by the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR) and staff interviews were conducted virtually via Zoom. The interviews aimed to understand the barriers and facilitators to staff engagement and the staff's experience in co-designing the digital app. The data collected from the interviews was analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis, which is a method used to identify themes in qualitative data. Results: Three main themes were identified: (a) information sharing between projects and staff allowed for meaningful engagement, (b) a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction promoted commitment to continuity, and (c) creativity and open-mindedness created access to collective resources. Discussion and Implications: This study demonstrates the importance of including the perspectives of interdisciplinary healthcare staff in the co-design of digital applications relevant to their practice. The results highlight that it is both necessary and feasible to involve healthcare staff in the co-design process. Based on the findings, I propose eight practical recommendations - CODESIGN, to facilitate staff engagement in co-design activities: Communicate clear expectations, Open to innovative solutions, Designate a skilled coordinator, Enlist the help of the local champion, Support protected time, Inspire motivation, Give recognition, and Nurture a research-friendly culture.

Text

2023-01-31

Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International

http://hdl.handle.net/2429/83769

Nursing

University of British Columbia

UBCV

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/