MIT HACKING RACISM IN HEALTHCARE - 2020 WINNER
Empowering people of color through community based health education
Our mission is to build more trust between the medical community and people of color, to provide better access to health information and increase health literacy for all, and initiate the adoption of more wellness programs at the community level and to scale that to the health industry level.
People of color are unfairly at a disadvantage when it comes to health literacy due to barriers in access caused by socio-economic status stemming from colonialism, systemic racism and bias within the healthcare community. How can we create a solution to connect and empower people on a community level to take ownership of their health education?
In 48 hours, my team ideated a community based program with supporting app that would engage with people at the local level and give people of color instant access to health resources, connect them with groups in their community to discuss topics such as generational trauma, racism in healthcare, PTSD, and fireside chats with professionals in the industry.
THE PROCESS
Empathy
Define
Ideate
Interviews
Personas
Competitive Analysis
MVP
The flow
Problem
Scope
Scalability
Solution
Design
Prototype
Prototype
User flow
Test
Interviews
Implement
Currently in the
Black Tech Matters Accelerator
THE DESIGN PROCESS
DEFINING THE PROBLEM
Our track was Social Justice and Policy which pertained to discriminatory procedures, practices and policies that exist within healthcare institutions.
People of color are unfairly at a disadvantage when it comes to healthcare literacy due to barriers in access caused by socio-economic status stemming from colonialism, systemic racism & bias.
How can we address the historical trauma that people of color have faced and still face within healthcare and how can healthcare professionals learn and implement new approaches and methodologies to communicate, listen and care for these communities in a way that is culturally relevant and responsive?
We refined this initial idea to move forward with a more clear scope.
THE
SOLUTION
Let’s implement a program focused on engaging with and empowering people of color at the community level to increase access to health literacy & resources by partnering with community orgs; To make this program accessible we will launch our companion app Lumen Health for quick access to resources and community events.
THE MISSION
Our mission is to build and grow trust between people of color and the medical community, to provide better access to health information, increase health literacy, and initiate the implementation of more culturally relevant and responsive wellness programs starting at the community level.
To build this program and app in an equitable way we will find ways to partner with people who use our product and involve them in the design, consult with experts on Indigenization and decolonizing methodologies, and gathering and acknowledging varied perspectives.
Before getting started on designing for the experience I created the information architecture.
ABOUT
THE PEOPLE
In practice, I don't use personas-but for the purpose of this hackathon the judges at MIT wanted to see how we conducted research and ideated our project with empathy first.
Our personas were created from a compilation of personal stories and experiences from the team as well as extended friends and family. I conducted qualitative research using interviews and surveys.
This product is for all people of color. To implement the community aspect we will partner with community orgs, cultural centers, and potentially faith based spaces. Lumen Health will focus on the individual and connect them to healthcare resources that they may otherwise not have access to.
Our app will act as a companion to engage a wider and younger audience in the digital space; Due to rising health concerns in younger generations the app has the primary mission to increase overall wellbeing of individuals by providing them access to immediate resources, events and information. Our decision to make the app a companion rather than the focus of our solution was based in thinking about access to internet or digital devices.
THE COMPANION APP
Core features of the app
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Language accessibility
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Community events and fireside chats (virtual and in person)
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Optimized for mobile with a companion web for greater accessibility
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Resource libraries
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Community component
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Extensive filter to include childcare & transportation availability at event spaces
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Customizable dashboard with recommended events, community groups and resources
On the app, people can engage with groups and other community members on Lumen Health in their area and beyond to find resources on topics like generational trauma, mental and physical health and more.
In 48 hours we created a medium-fidelity prototype which was part of our pitch.
We have continued to iterate on the design and are exploring build this with no-code tools.
TITLE OF THE CALLOUT BLOCK
JUDGE'S FEEDBACK
The proposal would have a significant impact on the community, I like the solution that the team attempts to address. I would like to see how the application is marketed and promoted. There are a lot of partnerships and relationship building that is needed.
The small pilot for the program is a good idea to build trust with the BIPOC community. Kind of like a three legged stool to ensure pull through and ensure continuity of sample group participation.