The Nexus Innovation Challenge: Using Design Thinking to Transform IPE Solutions

Design thinking—a human-centered approach to problem solving—can be instrumental in helping bridge the gap between healthcare education and practice. The framework allows you to explore broader points of view and uncover structural, operational and/or physical roadblocks to rapidly prototype, test and ultimately implement innovative solutions. This Seminar will introduce key concepts of design thinking and their application to finding solutions and opportunities at the intersection of interprofessional education and collaborative care. Learn from the testimony of 2021 participants and SmithGroup leaders about how the 2022 Nexus Innovation Challenge can be a catalyst for your team to advance your work.

The National Center for Interprofessional Practice and Education, SmithGroup, and the National Collaborative for Improving the Clinical Learning Environment led the 2021 Nexus Innovation Challenge from January to September, in which six teams from across the United States gained practical skills and expertise to advance their interprofessional initiatives. This longitudinal program was formed from the successful in-person design thinking workshops SmithGroup led at the Nexus Summit in 2017 and 2019. The longitudinal program was designed to support teams working through prototyping, rapid testing, and implementation of real-life solutions to their hurdles and opportunities in advancing IPE curriculum, improving patient outcomes, and increasing student competencies and cultural fluency.