Systems mapping workshops and their role in understanding medication errors in healthcare

Systems mapping workshops have been applied to the problem of medication errors in healthcare. The workshops were designed using experiential group work principles. They involved a range of stakeholders from within the health service as well as those who supply the health sector, including designers who may be able to enhance the safety of products and systems used in healthcare. Research has shown that the method encourages stakeholder participation, provides robust results within a limited time and enhances understanding across specialist interest groups. Additional, creative design workshops that considered the same topic showed significant promise in developing concepts from which potential solutions could be developed further.