Transforming health self-management: building a transatlantic digital intervention co-design lab

Researchers at The University of Manchester and University of Toronto are harnessing digital technology – bringing together patients, caregivers, scientists and software engineers to co-design user-friendly health self-management tools and create positive patient outcomes.

Harnessing the potential of digital technologies

The advancements in digital technology have opened up opportunities in the healthcare space for the creation of self-management tools to improve the lives of patients and caregivers. 

Evidence suggests that digital self-management tools can improve outcomes for patients, caregivers and wider health services. Many of these tools, however, are poorly designed, fail to fit in with the daily lives of patients, have accessibility or usability issues, and can conflict with other care needs. 

To ensure they are fit for purpose and support people in the intended way, digital self-management tools must be co-designed in partnership with patients, caregivers, scientists, clinicians and software engineers. 

Collaboration powering innovative solutions

Following years of leading the way in the design of digital health interventions, The University of Manchester and University of Toronto came together as a collective force to establish a pioneering international co-design lab. The lab was set up to enable seamless knowledge and ideas sharing and provided a platform from which to leverage mutual strengths, improve outcomes and maximise health benefits for patients. 

Teams from both universities benefitted from outstanding resources at the respective sites, with Manchester researchers visiting KITE in Toronto – a global leader in complex rehabilitation science – bringing valuable simulation capabilities to the project and a new dimension to the co-design framework. 

Toronto researchers also drew upon Manchester expertise in digital health software to learn about a variety of software products and how these could be applied in Canada.

Changing the future of digital health management

Partnership between these two leading institutions has helped to establish a capable and joined-up international team with the ability to generate a broad and robust evidence base, and the potential to change the way digital health solutions are developed. 

The digital self-management co-design organising framework developed through this project has paved the way for further research focusing on the design, development, evaluation and implementation of co-designed intervention. 

The team has since established the International Co-Design Network, dedicated to further co-design research and science in digital health.