Using technology-enhanced approaches to advance cancer health equity

Year: 2021-2026
Award amount: $4,422,938 for five (5) years
Focus: Using technology-enhanced approaches to advance cancer health equity among diverse deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing populations
NIH Award: U01OD033240
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The project goal is to customize a technology platform for use by community health workers (CHWs) who are deaf, deafblind, or hard of hearing and use American Sign Language (ASL). The web- and mobile-based CHW-ASL tool has two parts:

(1) fully accessible learning curriculum for CHWs, and

(2) virtual guided practice environments to support CHWs’ patient-centered navigation work and clinicians’ communication with deaf, deaflind, and hard of hearing patients.

This will deliver an innovative, accessible technology that has the potential to significantly impact and transform health equity in the deaf, deaflind, and hard of hearing community. This impactful work is supported by a highly interdisciplinary team, spanning expertise in DDBHH health disparities medicine, public health, health informatics, human factors engineering, and computer science.