Designing for Health Disparities in the United States
Abstract
My research is on health disparities in underserved groups in the United States. I started with research on specific health disparities such as cervical cancer rates in Transgender men with cervixes and preterm birth rate in infants of African American/Black mothers. Recently I have focused on mobile healthcare technology’s (mHealth) effectiveness and uptake in underserved communities. Since a large number people in underserved populations have access to smart phones and internet mHealth can be a vital tool in reducing health disparities. The main goal is to create accessible and quality preventative care. Preventative care reduces health disparities because access to preventative care is one of the most effective ways to avoid developing serious health issues. There can’t be equity in healthcare without access to preventative care. In order for everyone to avoid costly and more serious health issues in their lives we must create an inclusive and accessible pathway to receiving preventative care.
To address these health disparities, I created a mHealth app that allows health providers to take a course on health disparities and upon completion be registered as an inclusive provider through our app. The course covers inclusive terminology, the historical context to disparities, and their part in reducing disparities. Once the course is completed, providers will be on a registered list for people to access through our app. This allows patients to know they are choosing a provider that understands them and their needs. The app educates providers on topics they have not had adequate education on in their medical career. This provides a new perspective on their patients’ health and the factors that contribute to it. This knowledge lets providers have an open and honest connection with their patients, and as a result creates better health outcomes for underserved populations.
Keywords
Health Disparities, UX/UI Design, Human Centered, Education, Social Issues, mHealth and Design