Integrating Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility into a Data Storytelling Model for Health Informatics Education

Abstract

Background Health informatics education is pivotal in integrating diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA) principles into curricula and leveraging data with equity considerations. Integrating clinically driven data with other datasets is crucial to comprehensive understanding of patient care demographics, experiences, and outcomes to create equity-minded data storytelling. Publicly available Healthy People 2030 (HP2030) resources complement academic electronic health records, supporting tailored learning activities in informatics education to enhance educational utility through a DEIA lens.

Objectives This case report describes the expansion of an existing diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) checklist to an updated DEIA checklist for preparing future informaticians to collect and critically evaluate DEIA features using this checklist in creating equity-minded data storytelling.

Methods The DEI-Oriented Data Storytelling Model and the HP2030 framework were utilized to develop the DEIA checklist. We employed an informal cognitive walkthrough to expand the DEIA checklist and evaluate the DEIA measures or characteristics within datasets from the HP2030 social determinants of health (SDOH) five topics using this checklist.

Results We reviewed 76 available SDOH-related datasets and added six measures to “demographics” and seven to “skills, abilities, and accessibility” of the DEIA checklist. Our evaluation of the DEIA checklist verified HP2030's inclusion of all measures, except “religions/beliefs.” All DEIA measures were linked to equity and accessibility, one in inclusion, and the inclusion of three characteristics comprising the category “language” and six characteristics comprising the category “images.”

Conclusion Results highlighted the accessibility and comprehensiveness of HP2030 demographic data resources, considering SDOH factors and promoting inclusive data representation to address health disparities. The DEIA checklist provides a structured tool in facilitating unbiased data collection and visualization of SDOH-related data through an equity-informed lens. Integrating an equity-minded data storytelling with frameworks like HP2030 enriches health informatics education, broadens students' understanding of health disparities, and supports evidence-based interventions for improved health outcomes.

Keywords

diversity - equity - inclusion - accessibility - data storytelling - health informatics education.

Protection of Human and Animal Subjects

No human subjects were involved in this project.

Publication History

Received: 15 March 2024

Accepted: 29 August 2024

Accepted Manuscript online:
30 August 2024

Article published online:
11 December 2024

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