Despite strong evidence and well-designed studies, many interventions fail to translate into real-world practice. This session introduces human-centered design (HCD) as a practical, complementary approach to translational research that helps bridge this gap.
Human-centered design emphasizes understanding the needs, experiences, and constraints of the people and systems involved before developing solutions. In this presentation, we will explore how HCD can be integrated into the research process to clarify problem definitions, engage stakeholders, and design interventions that are more feasible, acceptable, and sustainable in real-world settings. We will also highlight how HCD aligns with and complements implementation science by strengthening the early design of interventions to support downstream adoption and impact.
This session, presented by Ami DeWaters, MD, MSc, and Jennie Adams, MEd, is intended for researchers, clinicians, staff, and trainees interested in improving the real-world impact of their work. Participants will leave with a clearer understanding of how human-centered design can be used as a tool to design research and interventions that work in the complex healthcare environment.