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48 Medical Construction & Design | M AY/ J U N E 2018 | MCDM AG.COM There is no question the healthcare industry is transforming at a rate faster than ever. To address the speed of this transformation, healthcare providers are faced with balancing the implementation of cutting- edge technologies and forward- thinking processes with the fi nancial impact of each decision. While continuous improve- ment is an absolute necessity, integrating and maintaining transformative concepts can be a challenging task without a methodology that allows and encourages "out-of-the-box" thinking in a safe environment. When leaders in healthcare delivery and design work side by side, healthcare can be reimagined, setting the stage for not only operational, but also institutional cultural shifts needed to address change. The key is integrating a methodology and mindset that facilitates real innovation and does not confuse it with incremental improvement. By helping individuals "unlearn" old models and patterns, pre-existing barriers can be broken to allow room for the creativity required to design medical spaces that off er op- timal experiences for patients and their families, as well as staff . Pioneering hospitals are doing this through a focus on understanding today's users: patients, staff and families who will all be a part of the experience. Those that are suc- cessful encourage involvement and buy-in from all stake- holders through a practiced methodology. "Design thinking" — the process that enables inspira- tional and innovative think- ing and engaging clients in overcoming complex problems together — is an emerging methodology for healthcare design. It provides a frame- work for bringing together story-based, ethnographic research with Evidence-Based Design and a rigorous decision- making process to create more meaningful, functional and effi cient solutions based on user experiences. This approach can On a recent project, design thinking led to matching of "like work" and "like space" to increase connectedness and fl exibility, in addition to reinvention of the design vocabulary for traditional care environments to represent human experiences: marketplace, factory, hotel and condominium. Design Thinking Reimagining the healthcare design process BY KURT SPIERING & AMIN MOJTAHEDI