@article{wolcott_mclaughlin_hubbard_williams_kiser_2021, title={Using Design Thinking to Explore Rural Experiential Education Barriers and Opportunities}, volume={8}, ISSN={["2382-1205"]}, DOI={10.1177/2382120521992333}, abstractNote={Introduction: Design thinking is a creative problem-solving framework that can be used to better understand challenges and generate solutions in health professions education, such as the barriers to rural education. Rural education experiences can benefit students, providers, and patients; however, placement in and maintenance of rural education experiences offer unique challenges. Design thinking offers strategies to explore and address these challenges. Methods: This study used a design thinking framework to identify barriers of student placement in rural locations; this was accomplished using strategies to empathize with users (eg, students, practitioners, and administrators) and define the problem. Data were collected from focus groups, interviews, and a design thinking workshop. Design activities promoted participant discussion by drawing pictures, discussing findings, and creating empathy maps of student experiences. Qualitative data were analyzed to identify salient barriers to rural experience selection and opportunities for support. Result: Focus group (n = 6), interview (n = 13), and workshop participants (n = 18) identified substantial advantages (eg, exposure to a wider variety of patients, less bureaucracy and constraints, more time with faculty) and disadvantages (eg, isolation, lack of housing, and commuting distances) of rural experiences. Participants identified physical, emotional, and social isolation as a significant barrier to student interest in and engagement in rural experiences. Workshop participants were able to generate over 100 ideas to address the most prominent theme of isolation. Discussion: Design thinking strategies can be used to explore health professions education challenges, such as placement in rural settings. Through engagement with students, practitioners, and administrators it was identified that physical, social, and emotional isolation presents a significant barrier to student placement in rural experiences. This perspective can inform support systems for students, preceptors, and communities that participate in rural educational experiences. }, journal={JOURNAL OF MEDICAL EDUCATION AND CURRICULAR DEVELOPMENT}, author={Wolcott, Michael D. and McLaughlin, Jacqueline E. and Hubbard, Devin K. and Williams, Charlene R. and Kiser, Stephanie N.}, year={2021}, month={Feb} }
 @article{wolcott_mclaughlin_hubbard_rider_umstead_2020, title={Twelve tips to stimulate creative problem-solving with design thinking}, volume={43}, ISSN={0142-159X 1466-187X}, url={http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/0142159X.2020.1807483}, DOI={10.1080/0142159X.2020.1807483}, abstractNote={Abstract Design thinking is increasingly applied in healthcare and health professions education to generate innovative solutions to difficult problems. The design thinking framework helps individuals approach problems with a user-centered focus; the emphasis is on understanding the user experience, their challenges, and possible design solutions that are aligned with their needs. In this twelve tips paper, we describe strategies that health professions educators can use to prepare for, conduct, and support design thinking. These strategies may also be useful to learners, practitioners, and organizations to address complex problems.}, number={5}, journal={Medical Teacher}, publisher={Informa UK Limited}, author={Wolcott, Michael D. and McLaughlin, Jacqueline E. and Hubbard, Devin K. and Rider, Traci R. and Umstead, Kelly}, year={2020}, month={Aug}, pages={501–508} }
 @article{mclaughlin_wolcott_hubbard_umstead_rider_2019, title={A qualitative review of the design thinking framework in health professions education}, volume={19}, ISSN={1472-6920}, url={http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s12909-019-1528-8}, DOI={10.1186/s12909-019-1528-8}, abstractNote={Design thinking is a problem-solving framework that has been used to enhance patient experiences, improve clinical outcomes, and refine medical curricula. This study reviewed the use of design thinking in health professions education.A search yielded 169 articles, which were excluded if they were: (1) not related to education; (2) lacking an application of design thinking; or (3) not associated with healthcare. The final review yielded 15 articles, which were analyzed using qualitative methods.All articles were published in 2009 or later and were diverse in their context, participants, and approach. Six studies emphasized the early stages of design thinking, with inspiration and ideation stages fostered through a variety of activities, such as lectures, small group discussions, and workshops. Studies examined a range of outcomes, including self-efficacy, perceptions, and solutions to a specific problem.Our findings raise important considerations for health professions education, including the extent to which we should: 1) teach design thinking to students as a skill-based tool to prepare students for problem solving in complex healthcare environments; and 2) use design thinking to create, implement, and refine health professions curricula and educational programs. Despite the apparent benefits of design thinking, many questions for health professions education remain.}, number={1}, journal={BMC Medical Education}, publisher={Springer Science and Business Media LLC}, author={McLaughlin, Jacqueline E. and Wolcott, Michael D. and Hubbard, Devin and Umstead, Kelly and Rider, Traci R.}, year={2019}, month={Apr} }