ABSTRACT
Focusing on the clinical doctor-patient consultation setting, this paper outlines the methodology and presents the results from a series of observational studies between doctor and patients undertaken in September and October 2020 within a public hospital setting during the COVID-19 pandemic. Using a design thinking methodology, the authors gained empathy and insights into the challenges experienced from both doctor and patient perspectives, during this period. This paper also discusses emergent themes from this qualitative investigation and examines the role of empathy in helping define the extent of the challenges that arose. As the first phase in a planned set of research phases, this work is informing and helping to shape subsequent ideation and design of multimedia related interventions to see if these human-centred design interventions can assist in improving the complex doctor-patient communication process. © 2021 IEEE.