Cancer diagnose: from 12 weeks to 6 days.
Reducing diagnosis time through service design
Company
Oslo University Hospital (OUS)
Date
2013–2014
Project Overview
Context
Oslo University Hospital asked us to help reduce the time it took for women to get a breast cancer diagnosis, and to improve the experience during what is often one of the most frightening periods of their lives. At the time, women could wait up to 12 weeks from referral to diagnosis, a wait filled with uncertainty, fear, and very little information.
Early on, we uncovered a simple but powerful insight. For a woman, she becomes a patient the moment she finds a lump. For the system, she only becomes a patient once cancer is confirmed. That gap shaped everything, from how care was organised to how waiting was experienced.
The fundamental shift occurred when we brought this insight into the room with the decision-makers. Instead of arriving with ready-made answers, we created the space, evidence, and confidence for clinicians and leaders to rethink routines they had followed for decades. Together, we redesigned the journey to work for both the system and the people moving through it.
My Role
I was a service designer in the team. We mapped the end-to-end journey from GP referral to diagnosis.
Facilitated cross-department workshops with clinicians, administrators, and staff to build a shared understanding of the patient journey
Conducted in-depth interviews with patients to understand emotional and informational needs during waiting periods
Moderated co-creation workshops to redesign routines and coordination across departments to reduce delays
Worked with the team to design clear communication materials to help patients understand next steps and reduce uncertainty
Service Design · Healthcare Innovation · Systems Design
Key Highlights
Outcomes
90% reduction in time to diagnosis, from up to 12 weeks to an average of 7 days
Improved patient experience through greater clarity and reduced anxiety
New diagnostic process adopted as the national standard for breast cancer (and later psychiatric treatment) in Norway
Multiple international awards and recognition, including the Norwegian Award for Design Excellence and IxDA awards
Cited by the OECD and included as a case study in This Is Service Design Doing
Why this matters
When healthcare is designed from the patient’s point of view, waiting times drop, stress is reduced, and the system works better for everyone involved.
This project became a turning point for Norwegian healthcare standards. It was award-winning, but more importantly, it showed that real innovation doesn’t start with technology; it starts with understanding people.
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