There are also trends in population health and technology requiring new services, new operational protocols, and strategic planning. For healthcare, we must address all of these trends simultaneously if we want to satisfy human needs and economic sustainability.

Objectives and methodology: North York General Hospital (NYGH) in Toronto, Ontario, seeks to meet the needs of patients, families and staff while driving growth. In planning renovations for their outpatient chemotherapy and paediatric programmes, NYGH and the design team first defined the ideal experience. Using a human-centred, co- design process, current challenges were turned into opportunities, resulting in ‘experience blueprints’ for each programme, which align with NYGH’s strategic plan and culture while addressing users’ needs.

For the chemotherapy programme, we found that patients and families need help redefining “normal”, personal choice, and a hospitable experience. Concurrently, staff need an environment that supports their workflow. Solutions include: a 24-hour urgent-care line for those experiencing debilitating symptoms; introductory videos to minimise anxiety-inducing unknowns; and re-imagined protocols for quickly assessing a patient’s readiness for treatment. Designing alongside staff also created a more efficient, safe workflow.

The paediatric programme user needs are quite different. Patients and families seek a collaborative care team, a personalised experience, and an appropriate environment. Big ideas include: remote technologies to update families; giving weight to telehealth through outpatient care teams; and supplies for kids to “Build a Bedroom”, so they can personalise their space. Operationally, the programme is prioritising development of a short-stay unit, where patients can be monitored without being admitted.

Results and conclusions: The presentation will discuss how to gather user insights and how they can inform the ideal experience. They will explain the process’ implications and how results are directly tied to NYGH’s strategic plan, creating a true patient- and family-centred experience.