Developing Rural Healthcare Services: How to Create Efficient Services Using Service Design Methods

This paper presents a workshop model that can be used to develop digital healthcare services in rural communities. The workshop model is based on a case study done in South Africa in the context of health-related information and communication services. Participants in this case study were semi-trained home-based health caregivers working in rural communities. The research was structured around design methods drawn mainly from the service design field that enable user participation in the development process and that create a common understanding and mission through increased empathy among participants as well as co-creative flows while working together. The primary outcome from the case study was a workshop model, which focused on investigating and developing solutions to address the most important caregiver needs during a typical working day. This leads to interactions, which increases empathy among the participants. The goal of the case study was to design a mobile application that makes the caregivers’ services more efficient. This research is part of the Critical Communication, Safety and Human-centered Services of the Future (CRICS) project, which runs from 2016–2017, and which is funded by Tekes, the Finnish Funding Agency for Technology and Innovation. It was conducted in cooperation with Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT), Cape Town, South Africa.