Starting the Conversation

By Sean Farres

Sean is a Design Director for IBM Watson Health based in North Carolina. He and 5 other designers from RTP (Research Triangle Park) volunteered their time to lead a design thinking workshop for 30 Durham and Duke stakeholders.

Volunteering for a Design Thinking workshop for the IBM Health Corps, I did not know what to expect. I just knew the mission was to increase the overall health & well-being of the population of Durham county. The challenge seemed quite daunting. How do we align these community partners to transform and build a thriving healthy community?

Trust seems to be a key factor in the relationships between non-profits and health organizations. Much of the hesitancy comes from conflicting viewpoints. One perspective is based on theory & academia and the other resides in funding & reality.

Compounding this barrier is access to patient data. Who should have access? What can be shared? What is ethical? I think we need a safe place for “open-source” health information. How can communities start to share population data in a controlled manner? How can they be used for positive impact? How will we fund this initiative?

Everyone I spoke to mentioned their willingness to help and serve. No one knew quite where to go. What is next? Can technology help us? I think just starting the conversation helps us move in the right direction.