American Indian Patient Experience
This interdisciplinary think tank explored the complexities of the American Indian medical patient experience through a community partnership paradigm. Throughout the course, students from diverse disciplines participated in lectures, activities, exercises, and projects within a "design thinking" framework, aimed at fostering innovation through observation, reflection, creativity, integration, and implementation. This approach bridged rational, quantitative analysis with emotional, qualitative insights, helping students envision and create a patient-centered healthcare future.
In the first part of the course, students met with community partners to identify shared goals and outcomes. Through lectures by hospital administrators, insurance providers, physicians, nurses, patients, family members, architects, and community leaders, students gained a holistic understanding of the challenges in healthcare delivery. Together with community partners, students developed innovative concepts designed to enhance and improve the patient experience, focusing on themes such as hospital or clinic environments, communication, access to healthcare, and system processes.
Instructors:
Jim Agutter
Richard White
Melissa Zito, RN
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