Guest Discussion Oct. 1-5: The Health Literacy Hackathon: New Technologies to Improve Health Literacy

 

Title: The Health Literacy Hackathon: New Technologies to Improve Health Literacy

 

Dates:

Part 1:   October 1st- 5th

Part 2:   October 15th-19th

 

Guest Speakers: Stacy Robison, Xanthi Scrimgeour, Sandy Williams Hilfiker, and the rest of the CommunicateHealth team.

CommunicateHealth is a health education and communication firm specializing in improving health literacy through user-centered design.

http://www.communicatehealth.com/

 

Description:

Our first Guest Discussion on the new LINCS Health Literacy Community will be 2-Part discussion about the upcoming Health Literacy Hackathon, and how new technologies and creative ideas can be used to help facilitate better health literacy.  We are excited to have as our guests Stacy Robison, Xanthi Scrimgeour, Sandy Williams Hilfiker, and the rest of the CommunicateHealth team.  CommunicateHealth is a health education and communication firm specializing in improving health literacy through user-centered design.

 

See the announcement below (posted earlier) about the upcoming Health Lit Hackathon. Basically, it is a one-day creative design contest where a team of people design a piece of technology (for example an app, a website or a media campaign) that will help people to find, understand, evaluate, communicate and use health information.

In Part 1, we will talk about the Hackathon and also about the larger issue of technology and its application to various health literacy goals. We will also use our health literacy community to brainstorm and compile some specific challenges that may be addressed by the Hackathon teams in their efforts to design these new technologies. The idea is have us think of some common challenges, and them to design the solutions!

Then after the Hackathon, we will have Part 2 of our discussion and report on what happened. We will look at the kinds of solutions proposed, who won and why, and how to keep this creative energy focused on health literacy challenges in the future.

 

 

Guest Speakers:

Xanthi Scrimgeour, MHEd, MCHES, is the co-founder of CommunicateHealth and a seasoned health literacy consultant with a passion for user-centered design.  Xanthi’s 20-plus years of experience in state and local public health give her an on-the-ground understanding of the communication challenges facing today’s public health professionals. Xanthi provides strategic direction for clients on the development of award-winning interactive web and print communications for diverse audiences, including adults with limited literacy skills.  Her work synthesizes research-based recommendations from the fields of usability, health literacy, and health education.

Stacy Robison, MPH, MCHES, President of CommunicateHealth, is an expert in health literacy and clear health communication with more than a decade of experience writing and editing plain language health promotion content for diverse audiences with limited health literacy skills. As a certified health educator and a self-proclaimed health literacy geek, Stacy has established a proven formula for communicating understandable and actionable health information to the public.

 

Sandra Williams Hilfiker, MA, is CommunicateHealth’s Director of User-Centered Design. Sandy brings a decade of experience in health communication, formative research, and user-centered design to the CommunicateHealth team. She has overseen numerous studies using a variety of communication and usability research methods to inform the development of messages, materials, and Web sites for diverse audiences. Sandy specializes in developing health Web sites for users with limited health literacy skills and limited experience with the Web. Sandy speaks nationally on developing usable health Web sites.

 

Preparation Reading:

About the Health Literacy Hackathon:

http://hackathon.communicatehealth.com/

 

Almost 90% of adults struggle with complex health information. This is because most health information is presented in ways that make it hard to understand and use. People of color, older adults, and people with poor health status struggle the most with finding and understanding health information. It doesn't have to be this way! Health information should be understandable, accessible, and convenient.

 

CommunicateHealth, a woman-owned small business, (and the same company that posted the Health Literacy Infographic a few months ago) is hosting a first of its kind Health Literacy Hackathon on October 13 and 14 at UMass Amherst. We are partnered with the UMass School of Public Health and Health Sciences and Mad*Pow (a research-inspired design agency focused on improving the experiences people have with technology, companies, and each other). The CommunicateHealth Health Literacy Hackathon will challenge participants to create a technology-driven tool to improve how people understand and use health information. It could be an app, a website, an interactive online tool, a media campaign, or something else! Inspiration and examples will be provided.

Participants will have 1 day to design their tool. Tools don’t need to be fully developed or complete, but presentations should include a plan for how the project could be implemented and launched.
Tools will be judged based on creativity, usability, feasibility, and best use of technology. The first place winner will be awarded $2,000. There will be cash prizes for runners-up. 

 

If you are a:

  • Graphic or web designer
  • Developer or programmer
  • Public health advocate
  • Researcher
  • Writer
  • Person who’s passionate about health 2.0 or new technologies

Then this event is for you!

Participants will compete in teams of 3 to 5 people. You can register as part of a group or as an individual. We’ll match individuals up with a group at the event.
Don't forget to tweet - use #hack4health (and follow us @CommunicateHlth) to talk about the hackathon, or even find teammates! What are you waiting for? Learn more and register today!