Service Design

This report is based on a project carried out at Karolinska University Hospital in Solna, Sweden. The goal of the project was to improve the functionality of the emergency waiting room through application of service design.

Two of the most important things at an emergency ward are that staff can do their work efficiently, and that patients feel they are being taken care of. That is not always the case in emergency waiting rooms, which are often very stressful for both staff and visitors.
Several problem areas were discovered by carrying out on-site observations, focus group interviews, and handing out questionnaires. The flow and behavior of visitors appeared to be unfavorable to the triage system, and employees were constantly being interrupted with questions asked by visitors, which most frequently regarded waiting time. The research also highlighted poor communication of information and instructions to visitors, which made them feel confused, kept in the dark and omitted. The failing system caused confusion, misunderstandings, intrusion