Our Health
In our theme “Our Health,” we look to explore systems that provide healthcare in all its many forms such as telehealth, electronic health records, healthcare products and other digital health related solutions. This theme will help us explore timely and important issues such as electronic health records, access to treatment, telemedicine, systems for mental health, exercise and nutrition. In addition, Our Health includes health problems related to environmental issues such as air and water pollution impact on health.
Global healthcare is the key to our survival. On every level, health is critical. These days, most of our conversations start with a discussion of health, “how are you?” and it ends with a good wish to “be well”. Our concern for health goes beyond our own bodies to our planet, which also must be healthy and stable for our survival. World Health Organization WHO states that air pollution is a public health emergency.
Global Health and Well-being is included in the United Nations 17 Sustainable Goals.
The theme “Our Health” (working title) aligns perfectly with the SDG # 3 Find it here UN SDG #3
HCI/UX can have a positive impact specifically in areas 3.5 – 3.7, (See Appendix for details) as these areas would benefit from a user-centered approach to design research. For example, the number of deaths and injuries from road traffic accidents would strongly benefit from user-centered approaches to design and development. Even in developing countries where resources are scarce, a user-centered development approach would prove to be more efficient since one of the goals would be to reduce human error for everyday people to minimize negative impacts. HCI and UX research could help prioritize the many issues, provide more strategic roadmaps for key decision makers.
Our Health is our theme because without our health and the health of our planet, we have no humanity, no nature, and no survival. Air pollution and climate change have a severe impact on our health. Our technology can be developed to help or hurt.
Some resources:
Telemedicine use in the USA https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/covid19/pulse/telemedicine-use.htm
Global health is medical and environmental https://www.sgu.edu/blog/medical/what-is-global-health/
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UN sustainable Development Goal #3
UN SDG #3
Targets and Key Indicators
Target 3.5 Strengthen the prevention and treatment of substance abuse, including narcotic drug abuse and harmful use of alcohol
3.5.1 Coverage of treatment interventions (pharmacological, psychosocial and rehabilitation and aftercare services) for substance use disorders
3.5.2 Harmful use of alcohol, defined according to the national context as alcohol per capita consumption (aged 15 years and older) within a calendar year in litres of pure alcohol
Target 3.6 By 2020, halve the number of global deaths and injuries from road traffic accidents
3.6.1 Death rate due to road traffic injuries
