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Global Design Strategy for Cancer Patient Education Materials: Haiti Pilot Case Study
Author(s) -
Cardenas Carlos,
Schleimer Lauren E.,
Olsen Maia,
Manzo Veronica,
Guay Rachael,
Kim Taerim,
Desameau PeterGens,
Damuse Ruth,
Shulman Lawrence N.,
Huang Franklin W.,
Bhatt Ami S.
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
design management journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 1948-7177
pISSN - 1942-5074
DOI - 10.1111/dmj.12030
Subject(s) - sustainability , medicine , literacy , product (mathematics) , resource (disambiguation) , health care , medical education , business , nursing , patient education , process (computing) , psychology , political science , pedagogy , computer science , ecology , computer network , geometry , mathematics , law , biology , operating system
Cancer care providers at Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital in Malawi identified a need for educational materials for their low‐literacy patients. Global Oncology, a nonprofit focused on improving cancer care, research, and education in resource‐limited settings, partnered with THE MEME to develop cancer patient educational materials ( PEM s). The goal of the project was to create clinically relevant and culturally appropriate low‐literacy PEM s to improve clinical care, support services, and patient adherence in resource‐limited settings. The team also aimed to develop a product strategy and business model for long‐term sustainability. The article introduces the challenge from a global health perspective and the ways design can have a significant impact. It presents the collaborative process of developing the “Cancer and You” booklet for multiple cultural contexts and focuses on the results of a pilot study in Haiti evaluating the efficacy of the design in simplifying complex medical information, facilitating patient education, and improving communication.