Just Lose It!
Exploring Health Adherence Through Design Thinking
Author(s)
Department of Allied Health Sciences
Grand Valley State University
vogelzjo@gvsu.edu
Office of the Vice-Provost of Health
Grand Valley State University
trytkoj@gvsu.edu
Abstract
This case study introduces “Rose” and “Michael,” a couple with infertility issues that may be related to Rose’s weight. The story details a visit to a pre-conception clinic and the struggle that Rose and Michael face in addressing underlying issues with adherence to clinic instructions. The case makes use of the five steps in the problem-solving process of design thinking as Rose and Michael progress through activities such as keeping a food record and a reflection diary, to navigating real life barriers to weight loss. Students assemble facts, synthesize information, and interpret behaviors during the sections of the case as they become familiar with terminology and techniques that impact a universal health issue of non-compliance, or as we find in the case, non-adherence. This case was developed for upper-level undergraduates and graduate students in a variety of health profession majors and would work well as part of an interdisciplinary class including social work, community health, health education, nursing, and dietetics.
Objectives
- Identify barriers to behavior change.
- Describe how external and internal factors impact health and behavior change.
- Synthesize complex data to create a comprehensive assessment.
- Apply principles of design thinking to create an effective intervention for the case problem.
- Practice collaborative skills.
Keywords
Design thinking; health non-compliance; infertility; weight management; obesity; food journaling; patient adherence; social determinants of healthTopical Areas
Policy issues, Social issuesEducational Level
Undergraduate lower division, Undergraduate upper division, Professional (degree program), Clinical educationFormat
PDFType / Methods
InterruptedLanguage
EnglishSubject Headings
Interdisciplinary Sciences | Nursing | Nutrition | Physiology | Psychology | Public Health | Sociology |
Date Posted
11/19/2019Teaching Notes
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