Using human-centered design principles to enhance cross-sector partnerships that address the social drivers of health

Using human-centered design principles to enhance cross-sector partnerships that address the social drivers of health [PDF]

Speakers: Yuriko de la Cruz (National Association of Community Health Centers (NACHC), Sarah Halpin (NACHC), Nalani Tarrant (NACHC)

Description:

Using human-centered design principles to identify opportunities for improved integration and advancing health equity is a relatively new approach. This framework is typically used in corporate settings; however, it can be equally powerful when utilized by community health centers, public health, and social service providers. The framework uses short, intensive bursts of facilitated sessions that allow teams to storyboard or personify the target population and anchor their efforts around the storyboard or persona. Additionally, the framework is an iterative process that allows participants to get closer to the needs of their community and identify strategies that may be more precise in addressing the root cause of barriers to comprehensive, integrated care. Finally, the design sprint framework honors the inherent solutions, experience, and skills of the cohort participants and builds upon the unearthed ideas and gifts of the community when intentionally including them.

As communities seek strategies that address and prevent the adverse health impacts of the social drivers of health (SDOH), they recognize that structural racism and discriminatory policies drive the SDOH and impede health equity. Effective cross-sector collaborations can be a force for driving equitable and sustainable upstream change to improve the health of structurally marginalized communities. During the education session, learnings from the use of human-centered design principles for cross-sector collaboration between community health centers, public health, and social service providers will be shared.

With support from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the National Association of Community Health Centers (NACHC) and Association for Asian Pacific Community Health Organizations (AAPCHO) facilitated four design sprint cohorts in 2021. The design sprints used human-centered design principles that focused on strengthening community partnerships by using data-driven strategies to collaborate on upstream efforts to improve and sustain health equity, particularly for structurally marginalized communities. Through this approach, participating cohort teams developed initiatives to tackle SDOH-related needs rooted in structural racism and inequities while strengthening cross-sector partnerships.

Learning Objectives:

1. Participants will be able to describe how human-centered design principles can be applied specifically to problems of racial  inequities in social care and upstream efforts that improve the health of structurally marginalized communities.
2. Participants will be able to understand the importance of integrating community voice including racial and ethnic groups in health equity initiatives to improve systems of care.
3. Participants will have the opportunity to practice a human-centered design skill, so that they can learn experientially.