Implementing participatory research methods using human-centered design (HCD) to evaluate the impact of Medicaid and Medicaid churn on health outcomes
Process
I led weekly trainings for PLE on research methods, incorporated HCD in the project's study design, and facilitated a group meeting with data and policy partners, funders, and PLE to set project goals and research questions. This project is still work in progress.
Weekly Trainings
Background Research
Conducted secondary literature review and background research on participatory research, trauma-informed practices, and co-researcher models and methods.
Training on Research Methods
Keeping PLE at the center of the design, I planned and developed a 200-hour training curriculum on research methods - components, qualitative, quantitative, human-centered design, research question, interviewing, data analysis, and reporting.
I heavily relied on the tools and methods of HCD to brainstorm, collaborate, and whiteboard ideas, concepts, and questions.
Empathy and Trauma-Informed Practices
Working with PLE required keeping empathy and principles of trauma-informed practices at the center. Bridging gaps to meet financial, language, technology and other socio-economic needs such as childcare was central to bringing success to a participatory research model.
To bridge power structures, we coordinated with a PLE advocate to facilitate communication between PLE and the center's research team.
HCD-led Study Design
I updated the study design detailing the project's research design, including data collection methods, data analysis methods, and involvement of PLE in the project. I incorporated HCD tools such as card sorting, drawing, capturing pictures, observational data collection, analogous inspiration and other such methods to data collection strategies. I suggested these methods to make participatory research inclusive and incorporate an easier learning curve for learning research methods.
Setting Project Goals and Research Questions
Using HCD methods and tools on "Aligning on Impact Goals," answering "How might we?" questions, and brainstorming, I engaged different stakeholders including funders, data, and project partners which included government agencies policy experts, and PLE to come together and brainstorm. This helped us set our north star and goals for the project and refine and finalize our research questions. I facilitated these sessions using the whiteboarding platform Miro.
We came up with two long-term impact goals:
1. Promoting access to healthcare services as a human-rights issue
2. Empowering Medicaid recipients to advocate for themselves and others
We also set short-term goals:
1. Adopting a racial-equity approach when evaluating Medicaid and health outcomes of individuals to help bring policy change and reduce racial disparities.
2. Keeping people and PLE at the center to inform data and evidence.