Innovation without user-training puts lives at risk

When it comes to new professional tools, training the staff who will use them should always be a priority. This becomes extra important in the health sector, as improper or insufficient training can put people's lives at risk. Ensuring training is essential for both the patients' and health care workers' safety.

Quicker implementation in the health care sector

Like many areas in society, the health sector is going through changes, partly speeded up by the Covid-19 pandemic. For example, we can see a significant increase in rapid implementation of new solutions and services. The health sector has traditionally been relatively slow at adopting new tools and has had many implementation barriers, but this is clearly changing.

It's essential that health care staff get adequate training before implementing a new tool, service or product. If not, the health and safety of both patients and the staff themselves may be put at risk.

Lack of training can be detrimental to patient safety

Implementing innovative solutions quickly can, of course, be something positive and bring better service and healthcare to patients, as well as a better work environment for health workers. However, just as with any novel product or service, if it's not accompanied by appropriate and well-planned training, it can be disastrous. It's vital that staff is adequately trained to use new equipment, new systems, and medications so that they don't put patients, or themselves, at risk.

Observing and getting user-insights is an important part of the design process. This also provides us with crucial information for designing the training and implementation of new tools.

Don’t only design the tool – design the training

When it comes to technology, services, and solutions that can help save people's lives or put people's lives and well-being at risk, we can never test, train, and rehearse too thoroughly. Taking the user-perspective and designing not only the product or service according to their needs, but also designing a training program that fits their needs, can make the whole difference.

This is where we, designers, have a big responsibility. It would be irresponsible and unprofessional not to consider, offer, and include training in projects like these. We need to prepare and train for all kinds of possible situations before a tool is implemented, not simply design the solution and hope for the best.People’s health and safety are far too important.