How do busy practitioners reflect on their services, including what they and their colleagues want to improve?
When working with children with life-limiting and life-threatening conditions, how can we provide practitioners with a common language to share resources? How can we design measuring and information tools alongside the users?
At Global Treehouse Foundation, a nonprofit that catalyses action for the 8 million children needing specialised palliative care, we posed these questions to ourselves and our partners. Our curiosity led us to create a user-centred design and methodology. We started by building on the existing literature to respond to real needs with a practical tool for assessing programmes and envisioning the future. Collaborating with leaders across the field, we partnered with over 60 contributors from over 20 countries on six continents. With our partners, we are proud to introduce the Magnify Tool, now available for free on our website.
Our Approach
Our approach was an iterative co-design process involving diverse providers, including those from community-based clinics, hospitals, hospices and advocacy groups. Recognising the multidisciplinary nature of palliative care, we included professionals such as:
- Nurses
- Doctors
- Psychologists
- Social workers
- Child life specialists
- Health professionals
- Researchers
- Educators
- Data and information system managers
- Palliative care leaders
Through this process, our tool evolved significantly, resulting in the creation of the Magnify Tool.
About the Magnify Tool
The Magnify Tool is a customisable tool to help children’s palliative care providers and teams effectively explore and use their service data and information. It features over 100 metrics across ten areas and provides a comprehensive means for teams to analyse their data and focus on improvement efforts. Critically, the tool is supplemented by a repository of real-world resources, making it easier for practitioners to choose their focus and access valuable existing knowledge and practices.
Our Vision
Our vision for the Magnify Tool is to create a global community of children’s palliative care providers empowered by data-driven insights and collaborative practices. The tool provides a structured approach to data analysis and a common language for global providers, thereby democratising access to valuable information. The tool empowers users to focus on the relevant areas that will inform their care setting and future service improvements.
Call to Action
We invite children’s palliative care providers to download the Magnify Tool and take the first step towards impactful change. For those interested in the user-design methodology behind the tool, we have shared additional details in our “How We Built Magnify” section on the website.
Together, we can make a significant difference in the lives of children requiring palliative care. Join us in this collaborative journey to improve and innovate in children’s palliative care.
For more information and to download the Magnify Tool, please visit www.globaltreehouse.foundation/magnify
Laura Dale-Harris is the Executive Director, Global Treehouse Foundation. Laura can be contacted at: laura.dale.harris@globaltreehouse.foundation
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