Makati Medical Center Foundation partnered with the Armed Forces of the Philippines to address a critical challenge: improving the patient experience and strengthening communication across AFP hospitals. The initiative aimed to create actionable solutions for information-sharing problems, particularly around Hospital Management Information Systems. Design Thinking was chosen as the guiding methodology, ensuring the work would be grounded in empathy, collaboration, and experimentation.

The Challenge

AFP hospitals faced barriers that limited both patient care and operational efficiency:

• Information flow between departments was inconsistent and fragmented.
• Patients and families experienced difficulty navigating hospital processes.
• Hospital staff lacked structured opportunities to co-create solutions with one another.

MMCF launched Project CUPPPID (Communication of Unified Policies, Processes, and Programs in the AFP), bringing together participants from the Air Force, Army, Navy, and General Headquarters to find better ways forward.

The Solution

On-Off Group designed and facilitated a program that combined immersive training with applied project work. It began with a half-day Design Thinking boot camp to align participants and set a game plan. From there, teams entered a 30-day cycle of applying Design Thinking directly in the hospital environment.

• Weekly hospital visits allowed participants to empathize with patients and staff firsthand.
• Teams conducted interviews, created personas and journey maps, and defined problem statements.
• Regular check-in meetings provided coaching, structure, and accountability.

The process ensured teams were not only learning the methodology but also applying it to real challenges in their context.

The Results

• Teams developed innovative concepts addressing hospital information and communication gaps.
• Prototypes and video pitches were presented to a panel of judges, making solutions tangible and actionable.
• A winning team was chosen and entered a 3-month incubation program to bring their idea closer to implementation.

Beyond the winning solution, participants gained skills in empathy, problem framing, and rapid prototyping — creating momentum for ongoing improvement across AFP hospitals.