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Tucker JD, Chikwari CD, Tang W, Jarolimova J, Gravett R, Goense CJ, Matoga MM, Tan RKJ, Niaupari S, Morroni C, Van Der Pol B. A Conference Designathon to Spark Innovation: Actionable Ideas to Enhance Sexually Transmitted Disease Control. Sex Transm Dis 2024; 51:e31-e35. [PMID: 38465975 PMCID: PMC11184286 DOI: 10.1097/olq.0000000000001965] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/12/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Designathons can be used to enhance public health training and spur innovation. A designathon is a 3-stage participatory activity that includes preparation, intensive collaboration, and follow-up activities. We organized a designathon focused on developing actionable sexually transmitted disease (STD) control strategies and examined the content of ideas resulting from an STD designathon. METHODS For this designathon, we created four groups: early career researchers, silver group (people with >10 years of experience), travelers (people from low- and middle-income countries and those who received a conference scholarship) and a community group. Each group developed its own plan to consult members, iteratively develop ideas, and aggregate insights. Each group developed STD control strategies that were presented. Cross-cutting themes across these ideas were identified. RESULTS Designathon participants included a subset of conference participants. Cross-cutting themes from final ideas included cocreating STD interventions with end-users, using sex-positive framing, enhancing open access digital STD resources, and reducing STD stigma. Early career researchers presented a call for community ideas focusing on ending STD epidemics by increasing accessibility to STD care services among all populations. The silver group proposed digital innovations, including an AI-powered tool for testing and treatment and a social game to promote sex positivity. The traveler group conceptualized an information hub to support implementation of STD programs. Community members underscored the importance of a more human-centered approach to STD control, which reduces stigma and normalizes sex and sexual pleasure. CONCLUSION Sex positive campaigns and open access digital resources should be considered within STD programs. Implementation research studies are needed to evaluate these ideas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph D. Tucker
- Institute for Global Health and Infectious Diseases,
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
- MRC International Statistics & Epidemiology Group,
Department of Infectious Disease Epidemiology, London School of Hygiene &
Tropical Medicine, London, UK
- Dermatology Hospital, Southern Medical University,
Guangzhou, China
| | - Chido Dziva Chikwari
- MRC International Statistics & Epidemiology Group,
Department of Infectious Disease Epidemiology, London School of Hygiene &
Tropical Medicine, London, UK
- The Health Research Unit Zimbabwe, Biomedical Research
Training Institute, Harare, Zimbabwe
| | - Weiming Tang
- Institute for Global Health and Infectious Diseases,
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
- Dermatology Hospital, Southern Medical University,
Guangzhou, China
| | - Jana Jarolimova
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine,
Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, USA
- Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston,
USA
| | - Ronnie Gravett
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine,
Heersink School of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham,
USA
| | - Cornelia J.D. Goense
- Department of Social Medicine, Care and Public Health
Research Institute (CAPHRI), Maastricht University, Maastricht, the
Netherlands
- Department of Sexual Health, Infectious Diseases and
Environmental Health, Living Lab Public Health, Public Health Service South Limburg,
Heerlen, the Netherlands
| | - Mitch M. Matoga
- Institute for Global Health and Infectious Diseases,
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
- University of North Carolina at Malawi, Lilongwe,
Malawi
| | - Rayner K. J. Tan
- Saw Swee School of Public Health, National University of
Singapore, Singapore
| | | | - Chelsea Morroni
- MRC Centre for Reproductive Health, University of
Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
- Botswana Harvard AIDS Partnership, Gaborone,
Botswana
| | - Barbara Van Der Pol
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine,
Heersink School of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham,
USA
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Tieosapjaroen W, Chen E, Ritchwood T, Li C, Conklin JL, Babatunde AO, Ongkeko AM, Nwaozuru U, Tucker JD, Castillo Carandang NT, Ong JJ. Designathons in health research: a global systematic review. BMJ Glob Health 2024; 9:e013961. [PMID: 38453248 PMCID: PMC10921519 DOI: 10.1136/bmjgh-2023-013961] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2023] [Accepted: 01/16/2024] [Indexed: 03/09/2024] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION A designathon is a three-stage participatory activity informed by design thinking. There is a growing literature on designathons in health. This study synthesised designathons' effectiveness and implementation-related factors to address health challenges. METHODS We searched Cochrane Library, Embase, PubMed, Scopus and the ClinicalTrials.gov registry for articles containing primary data on designathons for health from their dates of inception to 29 November 2022. We retrieved additional studies from citation searching and a complementary open call. We synthesised data on designathons' effectiveness (ie, engagement, outputs and implementation), required resources and implementation-related factors (ie, resources, facilitators, barriers, strengths and limitations). We assessed the risk of bias using a checklist adapted from Joanna Briggs Institute Critical Appraisal tools. RESULTS In total, 4973 citations were identified, and 42 studies were included. In total, 26 studies (62%) were from high-income countries. The median number of total participants was 49, divided into a median of 8 teams. The duration of the intensive collaboration phase ranged from 3 hours to 7 days. Common evaluation criteria were feasibility, innovation and impact. Idea and prototype outputs included mobile phone applications, educational programmes and medical devices. Interventions developed from a designathon was estimated to be highly cost-effective. The most common facilitators were interdisciplinary participants and high-quality mentorship. The most common barriers were suboptimal execution of the events, difficulties in balancing interdisciplinary participants across teams and limited support for participants along the process. There were limited data on required resources and further implementation of solutions after designathons. CONCLUSION Given designathons' adaptability in terms of budget, mode of delivery, type of output and involvement of diverse participants, including end users, designathons can be implemented in a wide range of contexts to address various health issues. PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER CRD42023389685.
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Affiliation(s)
- Warittha Tieosapjaroen
- Melbourne Sexual Health Centre, Alfred Health, Carlton, Victoria, Australia
- Central Clinical School, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Elizabeth Chen
- Department of Health Behavior, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Tiarney Ritchwood
- Department of Family Medicine and Community Health, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Chunyan Li
- Tokyo College, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Jamie L Conklin
- Health Sciences Library, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | | | - Arturo M Ongkeko
- National Institutes of Health, University of the Philippines Manila, Manila, The Philippines
- Foundation for the Advancement of Clinical Epidemiology Inc, Manila, The Philippines
| | - Ucheoma Nwaozuru
- Department of Implementation Science, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA
| | - Joseph D Tucker
- Institute for Global Health and Infectious Diseases, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
- Clinical Research Department, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | - Nina T Castillo Carandang
- Foundation for the Advancement of Clinical Epidemiology Inc, Manila, The Philippines
- Department of Clinical Epidemiology, University of the Philippines Manila, Manila, The Philippines
| | - Jason J Ong
- Melbourne Sexual Health Centre, Alfred Health, Carlton, Victoria, Australia
- Central Clinical School, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Clinical Research Department, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK
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