A scientific journal article written primarily by patients about their health condition has been downloaded over a million times. We reached this milestone after years of activism, advocacy, and demands for justice. The internet supercharged everyone’s ability to connect with information and with each other. The crucible of the pandemic then forced us into new […]
positive patterns
Wow! How? Home inventors
Hot springs have always been therapeutic destinations, but it was a father, desperate to relieve his child’s pain, who invented the home spa. Candido Jacuzzi, a mechanical engineer, and his wife, Inez, tried everything to help their son, who was suffering from juvenile rheumatoid arthritis. Hydrotherapy helped immensely, so Candido set to work, eventually building […]
Public Q&A: Human-centered design
A community colleague recently tweeted an intriguing question: “Looking for a rec! Our grant team would like to have more knowledge & training around #HumanCenteredDesign for research & community engagement. Does anyone have #HCD trainings, modules, or programs they love?” She tagged a few people, including me, and a public conversation ensued. People shared resources, […]
Caregiving is not a “career break”
LinkedIn recently announced a new feature: the “career break.” Users can choose from 13 different types of time away from paid work, such as bereavement, career transition, caregiving, full-time parenting, a gap year, or travel. It is a big step forward. But I want more. I want caregivers to be recognized as essential members of a health […]
Building an intake valve for new ideas
Imagine this: You and your colleagues know there are problems to be solved. You have resources to offer, such as funding, access to experts, and publicity. You are pretty sure there are people with great ideas out there, asking questions, defining the scope of the problems you care about, seeing things that you can’t see. […]
What I’m reading and admiring…
Here are the open tabs on my browser right now: Networks and Pickup Basketball, by Eugene Eric Kim. I’m always looking for images and metaphors to help people understand complex ideas — this is a powerful (and fun) one. Kim explores the infrastructure and protocols of decentralized, open systems that allow for creativity while discouraging […]
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