An Onto-Epistemological Review of Human-Centered Design Family Planning Research

Human-centered design (HCD) is increasingly applied in global sexual and reproductive health research to engage communities in creating person-centered interventions, yet it remains underutilized in the United States (US). A stronger theoretical understanding of HCD can support nurses to apply it as a novel approach to address persistent sexual and reproductive health inequities. This narrative review analyzes 10 US-based family planning HCD studies using the concept of epistemic stance to clarify how knowledge is created and evaluated through HCD. Findings show that HCD embodies a pluralistic stance grounded in creativity, context, and shared expertise, supporting nursing’s philosophical commitment to relational, person-centered care.