YTH StreetConnect: Supporting Homeless & Unstably Housed Youth in Santa Clara

CountyCara Silva, MPH – ISIS Ventures, Inc. / YTHLondi Gamedze – ISIS Ventures, Inc. / YTH

April 26-28, 2015San Francisco, CA

#YTHLive

Annual Conference on Youth + Tech + Health

Background

SBIR Program Solicitation in 2013

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (HHS)NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH (NIH)CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL AND PREVENTION (CDC)

Phase I:040 Development of a Mobile Application for Homeless Youth and Providers

- 2.5 million youth ages 16-24 homelessness each year

- higher prevalence of STDs, dating violence, HIV, poor mental health

- 62% have & use cell phones (2009)

- weekly internet use

- 80% of practicing physicians use a tablet or smartphone in the course of their work

Homeless and Unstably Housed Youth (HUH) and Providers

Develop a mobile app with two distinct, but interconnected modules: Module I for homeless and unstably housed youth, and Module II for providers.

YTH StreetConnect

#YTHLive

Formative Research

Content & App Development

Usability Testing

Final Prototypes

Activities

Literature Review- use of internet and devices- popular apps and features- access to healthcare and services

Expert Interviews- challenges- communication for referrals & followup- technology input

Formative Research

Module I: Mobile app for Youth

Module II: Tablet app for Providers

App Development

Services Locator: Life & Health Services

YTH StreetConnect Features

- Rating and Comments

YTH StreetConnect Features

YTH StreetConnect Features

- Specific Resources for Youth and Providers

YTH StreetConnect Features

- Medical Questionnaire in the Provider App- Results of questionnaire in the Provider App- Update provider info

Usability Testing

Testing

Focus Group

Rating system & forum“I rather see how other people feel about it before I just full on just take on whatever it is.”

“going off other people’s experiences is always helpful”

Availability of service“to be honest if you could click on the [app] for ...shelters, if they're open and if they have availabilities, not you get up there and they tell you no, or you call there and they tell you no...”

Mobile clinic“and [the mobile clinic is] all free too. It’s no cost. It’s I think that’s pretty cool. I would use that, I don't use it but I’ve seen it. But they don't come around as often as like once a month or twice a month. It’s like the time that you need ‘em most, they ain't there. I mean you gotta wait like two, three weeks or whatever.”

Sexual health“if you gonna be with somebody and you gotta think about it like, 'damn, do I wanna be with this person, I don't know if they got an STD or something, then you probably shouldn't be interacting with that person or whatever. It’s not something that’s like necessarily on your mind, you know?”

Addictions information“I wish people knew more about what drugs do to you, long term. Like, it's not just the high you know, it's your liver, your body...”

● Forum ● “Free” symbol ● One-click to call hotlines● Design and usability ● More categories ● Provider website link

● Changes in provider app were minor, mostly cosmetic

Changes Introduced

YTH StreetConnect – Youth Mobile app

Final Prototypes

YTH StreetConnect PRO – Tablet Provider app

Final Prototypes

Thank you to our Partners

#YTHLive

Thank you