JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

Connecting individuals to existing community resources is critical to addressing social needs and improving population health. While there is much ongoing informatics work embedding social needs screening and referrals into healthcare systems and their electronic health records (EHRs), there has been less focus on the digital ecosystem and needs of community-based organizations providing or connecting individuals to these resources.

Objective:

We used human-centered design to develop a digital platform for community-based organizations, focused on identification of health and social resources and communication with their clients.

Methods:

Centered in the Develop phase of the design process, we conducted in-depth interviews in two phases with community-based organizational leadership and staff to create and iterate on the platform. We mapped participant feedback to theory-informed domains from the Technology Acceptance Model, such as Usefulness and Ease of Use, to build the final product, and summarized all major design decisions as the platform development proceeded.

Results:

Overall, we completed 22 interviews with 18 community-based organizational leadership and staff in two consecutive Develop phases. After coding of the interview transcripts, there were 4 major themes related to usability, relevance, and external factors impacting use. Specifically, CBOs expressed an interest in a customer relationship management software to manage their client interactions and communications, and they needed specific additional features to address the scope of their everyday work. In addition, community-based organizations prioritized digital and text messaging communication with clients and needed easier ways to identify relevant community resources based on diverse client needs and various program eligibility criteria. Finally, clear implementation needs emerged, such as digital training and support for staff using new platforms. The ultimate platform, entitled Mapping to Enhance the Vitality of Engaged Neighborhoods (MAVEN), outlined feature changes and additions in line with these qualitative findings, including core implementation strategies for improving rollout and use.

Conclusions:

Community organizations hold deep expertise in serving local communities and neighborhoods with resources that promote health and wellbeing. Human-centered design was well-matched for the creation of a digital platform that supports community-based organizations in connecting clients to relevant health and social resources. However, much more work will be necessary to support the implementation of platforms specific to community-based organizations’ needs, especially given the training and customization needed in these settings.