A Conference Designathon to Spark Innovation: Actionable Ideas to Enhance STD Control.

BACKGROUND

Designathons can be used to enhance public health training and spur innovation. A designathon is a three-stage participatory activity that includes preparation, intensive collaboration, and follow-up activities. We organized a designathon focused on developing actionable sexually transmitted disease (STD) control strategies and examined the content of ideas resulting from an STD designathon.

METHODS

For this designathon we created four groups: early career researchers, silver group (people with >10 years of experience), travelers (people from low- and middle-income countries and those who received a conference scholarship) and a community group. Each group developed its own plan to consult members, iteratively develop ideas, and aggregate insights. Each group developed STD control strategies that were presented. Cross-cutting themes across these ideas were identified.

RESULTS

Designathon participants included a subset of conference participants. Cross-cutting themes from final ideas included co-creating STD interventions with end-users, using sex-positive framing, enhancing open access digital STD resources, and reducing STD stigma. Early career researchers presented a call for community ideas focusing on ending STD epidemics by increasing accessibility to STD care services among all populations. The silver group proposed digital innovations, including an AI-powered tool for testing and treatment and a social game to promote sex positivity. The traveler group conceptualized an information hub to support implementation of STD programs. Community members underscored the importance of a more human-centered approach to STD control which reduces stigma and normalizes sex and sexual pleasure.

CONCLUSION

Sex positive campaigns and open access digital resources should be considered within STD programs. Implementation research studies are needed to evaluate these ideas.

Informations de copyright

Copyright © 2024 American Sexually Transmitted Diseases Association. All rights reserved.

Déclaration de conflit d'intérêts

Conflicts of Interest and Source of Funding: JDT received support from NIAID K24AI143471 and RG received money from NIMH K23MH126794. For the remaining authors none were declared.