The Fundamentals of Co-design in Healthcare

Healthcare is deeply personal and every patient’s journey through illness, care and recovery is unique. To create systems that truly meet the needs of those they serve, healthcare is increasingly embracing a human-centred design approach called co-design. This collaborative approach actively involves patients, families, carers, healthcare providers and other stakeholders in the process of shaping and designing services, policies or tools, ensuring the outcomes are practical, inclusive and genuinely impactful for those who are the ultimate end users.

What is co-design?

At its core, co-design—sometimes called participatory design—brings people who experience healthcare systems together with those who deliver them to collaboratively solve problems and develop new approaches. It shifts the traditional model of healthcare design, where experts dictate solutions, to one where solutions are built from shared knowledge and lived experiences.

This approach doesn’t just address surface-level concerns. It digs deep into the realities of healthcare, fostering understanding and empathy among all participants. For patients and/or consumers, it means their voices are truly heard. For providers, it ensures that solutions are both meaningful and feasible. The result is care that feels more human and systems that work better for everyone.

Why is co-design important in healthcare?

The value of co-design lies in its ability to bridge the gap between those delivering healthcare and those receiving it. By centring lived experience, it identifies and addresses challenges that traditional systems might overlook. For example, a caregiver supporting a loved one with dementia might highlight barriers to accessing support services that would otherwise go unnoticed. When these insights guide the development of services, they become more accessible and effective.

Co-designed solutions also foster stronger engagement. When patients and providers collaborate, trust deepens, and outcomes improve. Patients feel more empowered to advocate for their needs, and healthcare providers can innovate in ways that resonate with the people they serve.

Beyond improving individual experiences, co-design sparks creativity and innovation. By bringing diverse voices into the process, it uncovers fresh ideas and perspectives, resulting in solutions that might not emerge in traditional, top-down design approaches.

The benefits of co-design in healthcare.

Co-design is more than a method—it’s a mindset that prioritises collaboration and shared understanding. It is best used in healthcare when addressing complex challenges, creating patient-centred services, developing health technologies, improving transitions of care, enhancing patient experiences, or tackling inequities.

It’s especially effective in situations where diverse perspectives and lived experiences are essential to uncovering hidden barriers and crafting meaningful, practical solutions that work for everyone involved. When implemented effectively, it delivers numerous benefits that enhance the quality and impact of healthcare services for patients, caregivers, and providers alike. Some of the major benefits to using co-design in healthcare include:

• Lived experience is prioritised: Co-design ensures that healthcare solutions are grounded in the real-world experiences of those who use and provide services. Patients and caregivers bring invaluable insights about the challenges they face, while healthcare providers contribute technical expertise. This fusion results in solutions that are not only innovative but also practical and relevant.

  For instance, a caregiver might highlight the overwhelming stress of navigating complex healthcare systems, prompting the creation of streamlined processes or tailored support services.

• Improved health outcomes: When services align closely with the needs of patients and their families, they are more likely to be used effectively. Co-designed interventions often lead to higher satisfaction, better adherence to treatment plans, and ultimately, improved health outcomes.

  For example, a diabetes management app co-designed with patients might include features like culturally appropriate meal plans or reminders that resonate with users’ daily routines, making it more impactful.

• Greater trust and engagement: Involving stakeholders in the design process fosters a sense of ownership and mutual respect. Patients and caregivers feel valued when their voices are heard, while healthcare providers gain a deeper appreciation for the perspectives of those they serve. This trust strengthens the relationship between patients and providers, making individuals more likely to seek care when needed and adhere to recommended treatments.

• Greater innovation: Co-design brings diverse perspectives to the table, sparking creativity and uncovering ideas that traditional approaches might miss. The collaborative process often leads to novel solutions tailored to complex or underexplored problems.

  For example, co-design in dementia care has resulted in innovative technologies, such as memory-support apps or sensory therapy tools, that enhance quality of life for patients and caregivers.

• Enhanced accessibility and inclusivity: Healthcare systems often inadvertently exclude marginalised or underserved populations. Co-design actively involves diverse voices, ensuring that solutions are inclusive and accessible to all. Whether it's developing services for people with disabilities or creating culturally appropriate health education for Indigenous communities, co-design helps break down barriers and promotes equity.

• Reduced long-term costs: By addressing the root causes of problems and creating solutions that work well from the start, co-design can reduce inefficiencies and costly redesigns later. When patients are involved in designing pathways, fewer resources are wasted on services that don’t meet their needs.

  For example, a hospital that co-designs discharge processes with patients may reduce readmission rates by ensuring individuals have the tools and understanding they need to manage their recovery at home.

How does co-design work?

Co-design follows a structured yet flexible process that ensures solutions are practical, inclusive, and user-focused. It is a deeply collaborative approach, sitting high on the six stages of patient engagement, as it empowers patients, carers and providers to actively contribute as equal partners in shaping healthcare systems. Each step builds on the last, ensuring outcomes are practical, inclusive and effective. A simple approach can include the following stages:

1. Understand the Problem
   The process starts with identifying and framing the issue by engaging patients, families, carers and providers. Through conversations and observations, the team uncovers challenges and goals to ensure a shared understanding of the problem.
2. Engage Stakeholders
   Diverse participation is the foundation of effective co-design. It’s crucial to involve a broad spectrum of voices, including those often overlooked, such as caregivers, culturally diverse populations, or people with disabilities. Building trust is key—stakeholders must feel safe and valued throughout the process. This may require addressing power dynamics by setting ground rules for respect and mutual learning. Accessibility considerations, such as providing materials in multiple languages or ensuring spaces are physically accommodating, are also essential. Stakeholder engagement lays the groundwork for inclusive and equitable solutions.
3. Collaborate on Solutions
   Once the problem is clearly defined, the group works together to generate ideas and design solutions. Workshops or co-design sessions provide a structured yet creative space for participants to contribute. Visual aids, storytelling, or role-playing can help make the process engaging and productive. For example, designing a dementia-friendly clinic might involve mapping out patient journeys to identify stress points, followed by brainstorming physical and procedural improvements.
4. Iterate and Test
   Solutions are piloted in real-world settings, with feedback from stakeholders driving adjustments and improvements.
5. Implement and Monitor
   Once finalised, the solution is implemented with ongoing evaluation to ensure it meets its objectives and continues to adapt as needs evolve.
   
   

Challenges in co-design.

While the benefits of co-design are clear, it’s not without challenges. The process can be time-intensive, requiring commitment and resources to engage stakeholders meaningfully. Balancing power dynamics is another hurdle; patients and caregivers may feel intimidated or undervalued in discussions with healthcare professionals, so creating an inclusive and respectful environment is essential.

Sustaining momentum is another issue. Co-designed solutions must be adaptable and supported by adequate funding and infrastructure to remain effective over time. Without this, even the most promising innovations can falter.

When not to use co-design.

While co-design is a valuable approach, it is not suitable for every situation. Co-design is usually not suitable in situations requiring immediate action, such as emergencies, or when problems have clear, evidence-based solutions that don’t need extensive input. It’s also less effective when resources are too limited to support the process, stakeholder buy-in is lacking, or legal and regulatory constraints limit flexibility. Additionally, co-design should be avoided if there’s no genuine commitment to collaboration, as it risks tokenism and undermining trust. In such cases, alternative approaches like expert-led design or consultation  or rapid problem-solving may be more appropriate.

Examples of co-design in healthcare.

Co-design is being used widely across the Australian health, disability and aged care sectors. To understand how co-design can work in practice, check out this episode of our Consumer Health Partnerships podcast to hear how Brianna McCoola and Jorja Campbell from Queensland Health collaborated to co-design a Practice Guide to Adolescent and Young Adult Care.

The future of co-design in healthcare.

As healthcare systems worldwide strive to be more patient-centered, co-design offers a pathway to achieve this goal. By building solutions together, we create systems that are not only efficient and effective but also humane and responsive to the needs of those they serve.

Whether it’s redesigning services for chronic illnesses, reimagining end-of-life care, or addressing the growing demands for mental health support, co-design empowers communities to shape a future where healthcare truly works for everyone.

Let’s build it together! Patient Experience Agency offers expert human-centred design facilitation services to help you co-design your next health, aged or disability care solution or project. Reach out to us at [email protected] to discuss how we can assist you to collaborate effectively with your stakeholders and create a solution that truly meets the needs of your customers.

Further Learning:

To explore co-design and patient engagement strategies strategies more deeply, consider our Developing Your PX Strategy program.  Click to learn more.

Further Reading:

For more insights, check out related blogs:

Blog: The Six Stages of Patient Engagement in Healthcare.

Blog: The Fundamentals of Lived Experience.

Metro North Health: Co-design Framework

NSW Agency for Clinical Innovation: Co-design Toolkit