An integrative review of human‐centered design and design thinking for the creation of health interventions

Background In the United States, we have a healthcare system crisis with high rates of dissatisfaction among patients and providers. To transform health and healthcare, clinical providers must be proficient in the human-centered approach of design thinking (DT). Objective To synthesize the human-centered design (HCD) and DT literature for the creation of health interventions. Methods We performed an integrative literature review focused on how HCD and DT are used in the clinical healthcare setting. Four research databases were searched from inception through November 6, 2020. We analyzed the methodology used, who is using the frameworks, and the DT phases included. Results Twenty-four articles were included in the final analysis. Of the 24 manuscripts, 6 (25%) were nurse-led and 15 (63%) had interdisciplinary first and last authors (e.g., Nursing and Medicine). Overall, 10/24 (42%) included all DT method. When analyzing the articles by approach or methodology, 12 (50%) stated they were using the HCD approach, 5 (21%) the DT methodology, and 7 (29%) stated they were using both the HCD approach and DT methodology. Conclusion There are inconsistencies in who uses DT and the phases used to create healthcare interventions.