Design thinking applied to new healthcare organizations is about being confident in experimentation directed at solving problems. The first step is to recognize the problems. That's a very valuable starting point.

Next, the focus must be on creativity related to people, processes and operating philosophies. If the operating philosophy encourages everyone to be innovative, then creativity can be mobilized. If not, then nothing will happen. The new regime in Germany in the 1930s did not want creativity so the Bauhaus closed.

Patients' outcomes in healthcare organizations are the direct result of the decisions that are made. What if , in designing new healthcare organizations, we focus on the architecture of decision making? It is essential to understand how decisions are made, who makes them and what processes are used.

Rarely, do we audit the decision processes within hospitals or clinics but it is the quality of these decisions that determines if the patient requiring surgery will get the right surgery at the right time with the right surgeon.

To support design thinking, small focused experiments in organizational design must be encouraged to test ideas. Many of these experiments will fail. Success is often built on a string of failures that have provided the opportunity to learn.

The cost of experimenting has dropped because of the availability of secure cloud based systems and apps. Cost is not the constraint. Protecting the status quo and the cultural resistance to change, albeit very slow, is the issue.

To succeed with design thinking, everyone on the design team must have a voice. Hierarchy or power based on status is a deterrent to deep engagement. Everyone must be encouraged to be creative and to participate. The ultimate is to achieve group flow (total immersion and joy in work) in the new processes that result from design thinking.