Integrating Design Thinking in Academic Health Systems: A Case Study of MBRU Students Innovating Patient Journey Mapping Initiatives in Dubai Health

Academic health systems are increasingly recognized as environments where education, research, and clinical practice intersect to drive innovation in patient care. Yet, the potential of design-led methods to enable such integration is still emerging within academic discourse. This paper presents a case study of the Dubai Academic Health Corporation’s initiative to embed design thinking and patient journey mapping within the medical curriculum at the Mohammed Bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences. Through a six-week innovation capstone and an intensive Design4Health Bootcamp, pre-clinical medical students engaged as co-designers in reimagining patient experiences across emergency, dental, and homecare services. Using design thinking frameworks, students conducted research, mapped journeys, and developed prototypes addressing real system challenges, including triage inefficiencies and care accessibility. Findings suggest that involving students in design-led innovation strengthens competencies in empathy, systems thinking, and collaborative problem-solving, while providing health institutions with new perspectives on service improvement. The initiative demonstrates how co-design processes can bridge the gap between education and practice, positioning academic health systems as enablers of patient-centered transformation and cultural change in healthcare.