Enabling Change from Within: A Service Design Approach to Building Change Capabilities in Healthcare
Authors
Brophy, Emily ; Strazio, Erika ; Limstrand, Lea Texmo
Term
4. term
Education
Publication year
2026
Submitted on
2026-05-26
Pages
140
Abstract
This thesis examines how a service design approach—an approach to improving services by involving the people who deliver and use them—can help changes take root and last in complex hospital settings. The study was carried out at Rigshospitalet with nurses from two cancer departments. Using a real case, it focused on collaboration, responsibilities, and the patient pathway, meaning the patient’s journey through care. Working in a practice-based, iterative way through workshops, observations, and ongoing engagement, the project followed how change unfolds in everyday work. Early on, it became clear that many previous initiatives had stayed at the level of intention, with little follow-through. In response, the project shifted to enabling nurses to take ownership, distributing responsibility and supporting them to develop, test, and implement their own solutions. This led to a concrete output, a patient-focused one-pager, and to a toolkit to support continued change, including methods for facilitation, coordination, and implementation. The findings suggest that service design can play an important role in making change possible by fostering ownership, strengthening collaboration across teams and departments, and building internal capabilities. At the same time, it takes considerable time, motivation, and a willingness to navigate uncertainty. The thesis reframes service design not only as a way to solve problems, but also as a way to help organisations drive and sustain change from within.
Specialet undersøger, hvordan en servicedesign-tilgang – en måde at forbedre ydelser på ved at inddrage de mennesker, der leverer og bruger dem – kan hjælpe forandringer med at blive implementeret og fastholdt i komplekse hospitalsmiljøer. Studiet er gennemført på Rigshospitalet i samarbejde med sygeplejersker fra to kræftafdelinger. Med en konkret case som omdrejningspunkt fokuseres der på samarbejde, ansvar og patientforløb, altså patientens vej gennem systemet. Gennem en praksisnær og iterativ arbejdsform med workshops, observationer og løbende engagement følges forandringers udvikling i hverdagen. Tidligt stod det klart, at mange tidligere indsatser var blevet ved intentionerne med begrænset implementering. Derfor skiftede projektet fokus til at gøre sygeplejerskerne i stand til at tage ejerskab, fordele ansvar og selv udvikle, afprøve og implementere løsninger. Det resulterede både i et konkret produkt, en patientrettet one-pager, og i en værktøjskasse, der kan understøtte fortsatte forandringsindsatser, herunder metoder til facilitering, koordinering og implementering. Fundene peger på, at servicedesign kan spille en væsentlig rolle ved at styrke ejerskab, samarbejde på tværs af teams og afdelinger og opbygge interne kompetencer. Samtidig kræver det betydelig tid, motivation og villighed til at navigere i usikkerhed. Specialet bidrager til at forstå servicedesign ikke kun som en problemløsende tilgang, men også som en måde, hvorpå organisationer kan drive og fastholde forandringer indefra.
[This apstract has been rewritten with the help of AI based on the project's original abstract]
Keywords