Dee Nicholas, in fulfilling the requirements for a PhD in Leadership and Change at Antioch University, has published her dissertation entitled Design Thinking for Health Environments: Case Study Research on Innovation, Design Leadership, and Healthcare Complexity.
Design health innovation centers (DHICs) are formed in Europe and the United States to create efficiencies in healthcare related to budget challenges. These efforts are difficult to lead due to the lack of understanding of their worth and how their process is valuable to healthcare settings. The specific problem examined in Nicholas’ dissertation is that little is known about how DHIC leaders and teams create and sustain these centers, including how design and health team leaders work together and what resources encourage the success of DHICs.
Nicholas’ qualitative case study examines how leaders and teams at one DHIC in Europe navigate the complexities of these centers. The research focuses on ambidextrous leadership and growth, analyzing team and leader behaviors, and exploring how these behaviors contribute to successful innovation in healthcare. The findings aim to shed light on how DHICs can be successfully developed and sustained, with an emphasis on the interplay between creative and practical leadership that supports team collaboration and positive social impact.
Read Design Thinking for Health Environments: Case Study Research on Innovation, Design Leadership, and Healthcare Complexity here.
