Design of Personal Health Libraries for People Returning from Incarceration in the United States

Abstract

Individuals with a history of incarceration face many barriers to accessing resources to meet their basic needs when returning to community settings. Digital health tools have potential to reduce health inequities by facilitating connections to health and social services, and peer support. This study aimed to employ a user-centered design approach to create a digital Personal Health Library (PerHL) for previously incarcerated individuals. The design process included in-depth interviews followed by rapid analysis, interpretation sessions, and user experience/user interface (UX/UI) design of a high-fidelity prototype. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with individuals with a history of incarceration (n=20) to understand their experience rejoining their communities. Findings highlight the need for an app that allows users to easily access resources for employment, housing, healthcare and medical needs, formal and informal support, and legal counsel.