Using design artefacts to transform doctor-parent communication in neonatal care

This paper presents a design intervention study, conducted at Peking University Third Hospital (PUTH), which developed artefacts to support doctorparent communication during neonatal care. Through a series of design interventions, a set of design probes and toolkits were developed to understand the current doctor-parent communication context within local care settings, and to prompt incremental changes in these communication practices. Field observations and evaluation interviews, based on these artefacts, demonstrated that the artefacts helped to change patterns of communication from consultative mode information delivery to collaboration by partner mode. They also increased parents' confidence in their ability to maintain the health of their babies themselves, and enabled doctors to understand parents' requirements and views. This paper presents the design process and provides practical guidance to designers intending to use artefacts as design research tools in healthcare settings.