By Alexi Freeman

Internationally recognised for her design work that spans health technology, systems and services, Melbourne-based designer and Monash University academic Leah Heiss epitomises the symbiotic relationship between design and healthcare transformation.

She speaks passionately about using design to leverage frontier technology, improve care quality and democratise access while mitigating the stigma surrounding therapeutic technologies.

Heiss has also collaborated with the World Health Organisation (WHO), noting that, “we focus on co-designing principles and tools to improve implementation and uptake of health guidelines, particularly in lower and middle-income countries.

"This approach is about zooming out from the singular project scale and considering how design can have real-world impacts at a more systemic level."

In Australia, the 2021 Royal Commission into Aged Care underscored chronic underfunding and systemic issues, and Heiss' people-centred design practice catalyses much-needed change.

Heiss navigates healthcare complexities with innovation, aiming to empower caregivers, care recipients and communities through transformative design solutions that span technologies to services for health systems.

"Designing with empathy by understanding people and their contexts can radically alter how we undertake research, writing, development and documentation," she explains.

"We are conscious of the barriers that care providers and recipients might face in accessing our content in developing countries."

Design's future impact on healthcare extends beyond patient experience enhancement to streamlining workflows and optimising processes.

Strategic design interventions are instrumental in identifying and addressing inefficiencies and improving operational efficiency, resource utilisation and cost-effectiveness.

However, these interventions must be balanced with lived experience, ensuring health systems are operationally sustainable and characterised by kindness, inclusivity and accessibility.

Heiss sees a future where wearables and point-of-care (POC) devices support individualised healthcare underpinned by new community-based care systems.

"From a technology perspective, I am interested in the trend towards personalised and customised healthcare and how it can be supported by wearables, nearables and POC devices," she notes.

“As a designer in residence with the Australian National Fabrication Facility, I am exposed to cutting-edge innovations such as microneedles and biosensors for wearable patches.

“Given my background in wearable tech and healthcare jewellery, I believe there is huge potential to underpin new community-based care systems through thoughtful design of wearable and POC devices – for monitoring, diagnosis and drug delivery.

"We need to think of these cofactors as an ecosystem, or we end up without integration and human experiences are fractured.

“That becomes the role of the designer – developing systems of care that are technology-enabled – rather than focusing solely on designing the product.”

Heiss' interdisciplinary practice breathes life into creativity and innovation, leading towards a more equitable care sector.

Through thoughtful design, she envisions a future where healthcare is not just about treating ailments but fostering holistic well-being, supported by intuitive technologies and empathetic care delivery.

Through her visionary work, she demonstrates that design transcends mere aesthetics and functionality, serving as a potent catalyst for transforming the healthcare landscape.

She advocates for a paradigm shift in healthcare delivery, emphasising the importance of inclusivity, accessibility and patient-centeredness in driving meaningful change.

While the world depicted in the 2013 film Her – where an operating system offers emotional support akin to human companionship – is beyond our grasp, it provides insights into the potential of AI-driven virtual assistants in healthcare.

Acknowledging this potential, Heiss emphasises the need for more thoughtful integration to enhance the human experience of technology.

She also advocates for responsible and ethical development of AI systems, ensuring that technology platforms are not reinforcing stereotypes and biases.

One of Heiss' many notable projects – the CaT Pin brooch, co-designed with Emma Luke – embodies this ethos.

CaT Pin combats loneliness amongst older adults living alone by monitoring baseline conversation levels and notifying caregivers of potential risks.

Heiss describes CaT Pin as a "low-cost and non-invasive solution to the loneliness experienced due to a lack of social interaction by many among Australia’s elderly population."

She sees a future where technology-enabled, connected and integrated community healthcare ecosystems take precedence.

Heiss leads the Health Futures research stream in the Emerging Technologies Lab at Monash University. Health Futures is focused on designing, developing and activating health futures that are safe, equitable, integrated, sustainable and attuned to diverse needs.

“We have learnt a lot about delivering healthcare via telehealth, and combined with thoughtful monitoring and activation of community health infrastructure we can contribute to improving equity and access to better healthcare experiences."

Through her relentless dedication to the intersection of design, health and technology, Heiss inspires us to see and participate in Heiss leads the Health Futures research stream in the Emerging Technologies Lab at Monash University. Health Futures is focused on designing, developing and activating health futures that are safe, equitable, integrated, sustainable and attuned to diverse needs.a future where healthcare is truly holistic, empathetic and empowering for all.

Associate Professor Leah Heiss is the Eva and Marc Besen International Research Chair in Design at Monash University, Chair of the Victorian Premier's Design Awards, Co-chair of the Victorian Heart Institute New Technologies working group, and Designer in Residence at the Australian National Fabrication Facility.