Healing borders
empowering immigrants with equitable access to healthcare
Stanford University
FOR:
CLASS:
ME 263: Product design capstone
YEAR:
winter & spring 2023
MATERIALS:
figma
SKILLS:
design thinking, user interviewing
OVERVIEW
Healing Borders, is a groundbreaking app designed to connect immigrants with social workers, revolutionizing their access to reliable, comprehensive, and continuous healthcare. Healing Borders prioritizes building trust in the healthcare system by providing personalized support and guidance; an in-depth questionnaire allows immigrants to connect with a professional of their choosing who meets their specific needs. With features that facilitate access to resources and support systems related to family and child care, the app will be an indispensable tool for H2A agricultural work visa holders supporting their loved ones.
PROCESS
CO-DESIGN:
Immigrant voices shaped healing borders. For 20 weeks, we spoke with farmworkers in Half Moon Bay who were navigating what it means to be an immigrant seeking healthcare in the United States. Through their words and stories, we found that the reality of what this means is putting off seeing a doctor until situations become emergent. One woman shared:
“I don't go to the doctor until I need to, and then it's too late.”
In the farmworker community, there exists an ingrained mistrust and fear of medical institutions, stemming from high costs and deportation risk. When they do eventually access care, it is often in an emergency room. This chaotic, distressing, and expensive introduction to healthcare only exacerbates their reluctance to utilize healthcare. It's a perpetual cycle of resistance that creates more resistance.
NEEDS:
In addition to immigrants with Half Moon Bay, we spoke extensively with medical professionals. The perinatal coordinator at Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital, who works closely with pregnant immigrants, shared with us:
“Sometimes I feel like we’re begging moms to get good care. We’re insistent about, you know, this is really a good thing for you.”
Immigrants navigating healthcare don’t necessarily need more resources thrown at them- they aren’t being used because their image is tainted by their attachment to narratives surrounding medicine. Rather, they need someone in their corner. They need:
A person they can trust
A proactive introduction to the healthcare system
Autonomy over their care
Comprehensive, continuous care
PRODUCT:
That is why we created Healing Borders. We want to reprioritize the social worker as the first person immigrants meet and the first point of contact to guide them through their healthcare journey.
“When you’re the patient, you're having to reinvent the wheel. When you’re the social worker: been there, done that, seen that- not a problem. I know who to call, I know how to get you there.”