The Cancer Positive Journey: A System Design Thinking Perspective

Abstract

Background Breast cancer, one of the most common invasive cancers for women both in the developed and developing world, poses a threat as a multi-dimensional malignancy branching out into an array of medical, physical, financial, social, emotional and sexual turmoil. This paper reports research that has been carried out in an academic pursuit for answers to queries encapsulating the social perception, impact and aftermath of breast cancer—affiliated healthcare systems, effective caregiving, healthy coping and holistic healing mechanisms. Objective The study aims at presenting the illness and its negative imprints as a cumulative concern, instead of singularly scrutinizing it through a clinical lens. It urges practitioners and caregivers to innovate and intervene at three identified and overlapping target phases of the journey: (i) awareness and diagnosis, (ii) short-term healing and (iii) long-term recovery. Methodology With underlying system design practices, this qualitative study was conducted as a part of a visual communication project under the graphic design department at National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad. The deployed methodology made use of empathy mapping, opportunity mapping, gigamaping, interviews and questionnaires as tools to engage the two stakeholder groups, one including health care providers, patients and their support systems personifying direct stakeholders of the journey and the second being a group of general participants embodying indirect stakeholders. Conclusion This approach devised cancer positive, a collective and curative movement, which provides a systemic solution to downsize the trauma of the illness, foster interpersonal relationships and eradicate the perceived and actual stigma attached to breast cancer. The proffered system provides strategies for accessible and responsive caregiving, remote monitoring, telemedicine and behavioural modification by proposing an allocated breast cancer data unit. This paper primarily elaborates on the design rationale that suggests the imperative need of an all-inclusive recovery-centric approach instead of a mere survival outlook towards the life-threatening phenomenon.