Equity, Listening, and the Transference of Power in Design-Driven Healthcare Innovation

Abstract

Looking to transition towards health equity, the American Heart Association worked with a design strategy consultancy, verynice, on the development of a toolkit for human-centered innovation. Professor Matthew Manos of the USC Iovine and Young Academy led a group of students on a residential experience in Dallas that leveraged the toolkit to better understand the social determinants of health. Since then, the toolkit has since been applied to several residential experiences in the school. This paper explores the application of this toolkit in an educational environment for teaching students how to listen to community needs, and suspend their bias.