If you could create a tool that empowers young adults to prevent violence in real time … or a tool that empowers public health and disaster response workers working with the information they need to communicate reliably with headquarters, community leaders, and one another to deliver critical services to hard to reach, vulnerable populations. mHealth (mobile technologies for health) has emerged as an innovative means to do these very things and shape how public health is practiced. In this workshop, the sixth session in the latest 21st Century New Media Series from CALPACT and CHL at UC Berkeley's School of Public Health, Caricia Catalani of Innovative Support to Emergencies, Diseases, and Disasters (InSTEDD) and Deb Levine of Youth + Tech + Health (YTH) share their best practices for using mobile technology in public health. Enjoy this presentation from the training! To view other resources from this workshop: http://www.slideshare.net/SPHCalpact/calpact-new-media-workshop-m-health-tech-for-hiv To learn more about this series, please visit: http://chl.berkeley.edu/events/newmedia/2012-2013-new-media-trainings/sessions. Follow Us on Twitter: @CALPACT Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/CALPACTUCB Website: www.calpact.org

1. Mobile Tech for Public Health:
Focus on Youth and Sexual
Health
Deb Levine, Founder, YTH
(formerly ISIS)
UC Berkeley Center for
Health Leadership
June 12, 2013 Oakland

2. Why Mobile?
• 91% of people in the U.S. own mobile
phones
• 56% of adults in the U.S. own smart
phones
• 78% of teens have mobile phones
• 36% of teens have smart phones
• There is little disparity in phone ownership
based on race/ethnicity/socioeconomic
status

3. Adult Latina Women
• 251 surveys of Latinas aged 16-59 in
Fresno
• 96% have mobile phones
• 70% have data plans on their mobile
phones

4. African-American Youth
• Conversations with youth of color in San
Francisco
• 99% have mobile phones; about 20%
have more than one
• 100% use their phones for calls and SMS
text messaging
• 66% have data plans on their mobile
phones

5. The Basics: Messaging
• Text messages: 140 – 160 characters, one
way or two way messaging. One way best
used to engage and encourage to take an
action, such as increase access to services
or sign a petition. Two way good for deep
engagement, crisis management.
• Multimedia messaging: Enhanced text
messages with pics, video and audio

6. The Basics: Web and Apps
• Mobile web: Reaching those who access
the Internet only via their mobile phones,
most often people with greatest economic
and health disparities
• Smartphone apps: Makes optimum use of
phone features such as photo, video,
GPS, etc. Platform dependent (iPhone/
Droid)

7. Common Uses
– Education and outreach
– Contraception & appt. reminders
– Medication adherence/compliance
- Risk Assessment
- Data Collection

8. Education and Outreach
• Referrals: Txt clinic + your zip code to 61827 to
find free and low cost health centers and
m.stdtest.org
• Education: Txt Hookup to 877877 and weekly
tips and life advice

10. Sample Messages
• (1/4): Chappell Hayes Ctr@McClymondsHS2607
Myrtle St. Oakland CA 94607 5108351393
• SexINFO: If u think he/she’s cheating on u, get a
checkup 2day STDs can go backnforth most times
there’s no symptoms drop in City Clinic 356 7th St.
415-387-5500
• Hookup: Wanna get buff? Steroids can make a man's
breasts bigger, his nuts smaller, & make u feel angry all
the time. Txt Clinic+ zip code for clinics Pwred by ISIS

12. Reminders
• Daily, weekly, monthly self-reminders for
contraception
– Sign up online, receive automated msg
• Appointment reminders for follow-ups after STD
diagnoses, annual exams, etc.
• Good results in primary care and other specialty
clinics

13. Best Practices
• Understand the local mobile landscape
• Community inclusion
• Partnerships (community and tech)
• Multi-media strategy
• Evaluation and marketing built in and
budgeted

14. Risks and Challenges
• Confidentiality
– Msgs sent via mobile phones are not confidential
– Unclear terms of service by carriers
• Legal compliance
– Cannot send diagnoses via text in US
– Concerns w/partner notification, under-age patients/
parental notification, defamation of character
• Staff comfort levels
– Many mobile enabled, but not using SMS for work

15. Case Studies
• TIPS: Text information portal for Latina
women in Fresno County
• Oregon Reminders: SMS, Voice and Email
reminders for HIV testing and medication
• Circle of 6: Mobile app to prevent dating
violence and sexual assault on college
campuses

22. YTH Live
mHealth for Youth track
– SMS to improve medication adherence for HIV+
youth: Children’s Hosp of Chicago
– Geolocating apps for HIV prevention: San Mateo
County Health
– Mobile app to help teens find docs: NYC DOH
– SMS and text-chat to replace f/u appointments: Cell-
Life, South Africa
– Mobile and tech on a shoestring budget: Family Tree
Clinic
– Responsive design: AIDS.gov

23. Contact Info
Deb Levine, YTH
deb@yth.org
@DebYTH
Facebook.com/ythorg
510-835-9400