Democratising Healthcare Technology: The Role and Challenges of Participatory Design in Healthcare

Register for this free teams webinar here: https://futurebloodtesting.org/event/2024-09-27 Abstract: In this talk, Dr Stephen Lindsay will delve into the fundamental principles of participatory design, focusing on its role in democratizing the development of healthcare technologies. He will begin by exploring the core definition of participatory design, emphasizing its potential to empower users by involving them directly in the creation process. He will then contrast this approach with current Patient and Public Involvement and Engagement (PPIE) practices in the UK, highlighting how participatory design extends beyond consultation to share decision-making in design. The talk will also examine the specific challenges of applying participatory design in healthcare, navigating ethical considerations, ensuring inclusivity, and managing the complexities of working with vulnerable populations. Through case studies from his own work, he will demonstrate how participatory design can overcome these challenges, leading to more inclusive, effective, and ethically sound healthcare solutions, and offering a critical perspective on the limitations of traditional PPIE approaches. Bio: Dr Stephen Lindsay is a Lecturer in Digital Healthcare and HCI at Glasgow University. His research is cantered on participatory design, particularly with marginalized groups such as older adults, people living with dementia, and individuals with brain injuries. Dr Lindsay believes that involving these under-heard voices in healthcare technology design not only fosters more ethical practices but also drives innovation. His work has addressed diverse areas, including designing digital tools for older adults, supporting less-literate diabetes patients in rural Pakistan, and creating technologies that genuinely reflect patients’ needs and experiences. Through this approach, Dr Lindsay contributes to the development of digital health tools that are both ethically sound and practically effective, grounded in the lived experiences of those they aim to serve. This webinar is part of the 2024 Future Blood Testing Network+ webinar series. This series will feature a diverse range of speakers who are working in the areas of future blood testing and diagnostics.