Facilitating Access to Digital Health Information for Individuals with Multifaceted Health and Social Needs: Smartphone App Co-design in Community Wellness Centers
- Leading Researcher:
- Carolyn Sartor, Ph.D.
- Interests:
- Comorbidities, Substance use/use disorder
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Graduate/Medical Students is accepted
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Post Docs is accepted
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Residents is accepted
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Undergraduates is accepted
Official Title:
Facilitating Access to Digital Health Information for Individuals with Multifaceted Health and Social Needs: Smartphone App Co-design in Community Wellness Centers
There is a dire need to improve health support and resources for people living with mental health, substance use, and/or co-occurring physical conditions and experiencing poverty. These individuals often face significant barriers to accessing health related information using digital tools (e.g., navigating patient portals, finding websites with reliable health information). The current project aims to develop a smartphone app, with individuals from this population as co-creators, that will centralize relevant health information and facilitate navigation of healthcare and associated wellness resources. This project will be conducted in peer recovery centers, also known as Community Wellness Centers, which provide critical services, education, and resources to support health and wellness, delivered by peers with lived experience. (https://cspnj.org/cause/cwc/). This low barrier, one-stop model serves people who often experience a combination of co-occurring mental health, substance use, and physical health challenges in addition to the experiences of being formerly or currently unhoused and living below the poverty line. Community Wellness Centers are ideal spaces to co-develop an app to empower individuals with such challenges to access much-needed health information.