Mahkameh Mallah Zadeh
MFA Design Research and Development, 2024

Project Description: 
This research project began as an effort to explore the healthcare space and the role of design researchers within it, aiming to understand the existing challenges and potential. The initial exploration involved reading people’s stories online, engaging with them one-on-one, and finding ways to make these voices and stories more visible to the healthcare mainstream. By enhancing the visibility of people's voices and needs, the project seeks to foster collaboration among various healthcare silos, enabling better understanding and learning from one another, with the goal of creating a more equitable healthcare future together.

The project was conducted in two main phases: interviews and surveys, targeting healthcare providers, researchers/innovators in the healthcare space, and people living with diabetes and/or long covid. The study highlights significant insights into participation, engagement, and empowerment within the healthcare system. A key finding is the identification of gaps and silos that inhibit effective collaboration and limit innovation in addressing patient needs. The first phase of the research led to the development of a provocative potential solution to enhance the participation and collaboration of these groups in healthcare. The use of interactive interviews and feedback surveys revealed a strong desire for more collaboration and the integration of lived experiences into healthcare practices and policies. Another outcome of the research demonstrated the benefits of a more inclusive and participatory approach to healthcare design and research, complementing the evidence-based research focus of the healthcare sector. The research advocates for a shift towards a more inclusive system that leverages exploratory design research methods and emphasizes the role of direct patient input in decision-making processes.

Committee Members: 
Elizabeth Sanders (Advisor), Shadrick Addy, Yvette Shen