Dr Becky McCall examines the potential of digital storytelling as part of the behavioural science framework. Within public health, storytelling - including digital storytelling (DST) - is frequently examined through a scientific lens, whether as a research method or an interventional tool for influencing behaviour change. However, DST is inherently an arts-based practice, grounded in the creation of authentic, 3–5-minute videos that convey personal experiences of illness. Its strength lies in the interpretation and emotional meaning generated through the storytelling process, both for the storyteller creators and for audiences. In my recent work, I examine the potential of DST to relate experiences of antibiotic resistance and antibiotic adversity to the lay public. Using qualitative data from a public screening and discussion of five digital stories, we explore the extent to which this arts-based, largely emotion-driven method can be situated within a behavioural science framework, and whether it may form part of a causal pathway towards reducing unnecessary antibiotic use among the general public.
About the speaker:
Dr Becky McCall has been a medical journalist working for various global news outlets for 20 years. Most of her work has been in the written format, but she has also worked in radio and television. She has watched with interest as the patient voice has shifted from the margins to adopting an increasingly central role in medical discourse. Her recent PhD work challenged assumptions around public perceptions of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) through the creation of digital stories as an interventional tool to shape mindsets around the use of antibiotics. She has just been awarded a PhD from University College London. Some of her stories can be found at StoryBug.
Please note, the sound of the story Dr McCall showed in this talk was not recorded but you can find this story and others at her website https://storybug.org.uk/.
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Dr Becky McCall examines the potential of digital storytelling as part of the behavioural science framework. Within public health, storytelling - including digital storytelling (DST) - is frequently examined through a scientific lens, whether as a research method or an interventional tool for influencing behaviour change. However, DST is inherently an arts-based practice, grounded in the creation of authentic, 3–5-minute videos that convey personal experiences of illness. Its strength lies in the interpretation and emotional meaning generated through the storytelling process, both for the storyteller creators and for audiences. In my recent work, I examine the potential of DST to relate experiences of antibiotic resistance and antibiotic adversity to the lay public. Using qualitative data from a public screening and discussion of five digital stories, we explore the extent to which this arts-based, largely emotion-driven method can be situated within a behavioural science framework, and whether it may form part of a causal pathway towards reducing unnecessary antibiotic use among the general public.
About the speaker:
Dr Becky McCall has been a medical journalist working for various global news outlets for 20 years. Most of her work has been in the written format, but she has also worked in radio and television. She has watched with interest as the patient voice has shifted from the margins to adopting an increasingly central role in medical discourse. Her recent PhD work challenged assumptions around public perceptions of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) through the creation of digital stories as an interventional tool to shape mindsets around the use of antibiotics. She has just been awarded a PhD from University College London. Some of her stories can be found at StoryBug.
Please note, the sound of the story Dr McCall showed in this talk was not recorded but you can find this story and others at her website https://storybug.org.uk/.
Health Technology Assessment (HTA) in Resource-Constrained Settings: A Case Study of Ghana
Translational Health Sciences
41 minutes
2 years ago
Health Technology Assessment (HTA) in Resource-Constrained Settings: A Case Study of Ghana
Dr Brian Adu Asare discusses Health Technology Assessment (HTA) using Ghana as a case study. HTA is pivotal in informing healthcare decision-making. It is a tool which helps in ensuring effective resource allocation and optimizing health outcomes. In resource-constrained settings, such as Ghana, the institutionalization, conduct, and uptake of HTA seeks to contribute to maximizing outcomes with limited resources. In Ghana, HTA's institutionalization has been marked by the establishment governance structures, strategies, and processes as well as the integration of HTA principles into health policies. However, the process has faced challenges, including limited expertise and financial constraints. Capacity-building initiatives, such as training programs and international collaborations, have been instrumental in addressing these barriers.
Dr Brian Adu Asare is the Head of Health Technology Assessments (HTA) in Ghana and a Senior Technical Officer at the Pharmacy Directorate of the Ghana Ministry of Health. He also heads the National Drug Information, Research and Monitoring and Evaluation Unit of the Ministry of Health under the Pharmacy Directorate. He joined mainstream health policy in 2008 at the Ghana National Drugs Programme, and currently advices on technical issues in relation to pharmaceuticals in the Ghana Ministry of Health.
He has led and contributed to several technical initiatives in:
* Institutionalization and operationalization of Health Technology Assessment (HTA) in Ghana
* Evidence-based medicine (EBM)
* Pricing systems, Health systems strengthening, Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and health information systems
* Formulation and review of National Medicines Policy
* Development and review of Standard Treatment Guidelines (STG) and Essential Medicines Lists (EML) including COVID-19 treatment guidelines for Ghana.
He currently serves on the:
* National Medicines Selection Committee
* National Medicines Price Committee
* National AMR policy platform
* National Medicines Policy Technical Working Group, among others.
Translational Health Sciences
Dr Becky McCall examines the potential of digital storytelling as part of the behavioural science framework. Within public health, storytelling - including digital storytelling (DST) - is frequently examined through a scientific lens, whether as a research method or an interventional tool for influencing behaviour change. However, DST is inherently an arts-based practice, grounded in the creation of authentic, 3–5-minute videos that convey personal experiences of illness. Its strength lies in the interpretation and emotional meaning generated through the storytelling process, both for the storyteller creators and for audiences. In my recent work, I examine the potential of DST to relate experiences of antibiotic resistance and antibiotic adversity to the lay public. Using qualitative data from a public screening and discussion of five digital stories, we explore the extent to which this arts-based, largely emotion-driven method can be situated within a behavioural science framework, and whether it may form part of a causal pathway towards reducing unnecessary antibiotic use among the general public.
About the speaker:
Dr Becky McCall has been a medical journalist working for various global news outlets for 20 years. Most of her work has been in the written format, but she has also worked in radio and television. She has watched with interest as the patient voice has shifted from the margins to adopting an increasingly central role in medical discourse. Her recent PhD work challenged assumptions around public perceptions of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) through the creation of digital stories as an interventional tool to shape mindsets around the use of antibiotics. She has just been awarded a PhD from University College London. Some of her stories can be found at StoryBug.
Please note, the sound of the story Dr McCall showed in this talk was not recorded but you can find this story and others at her website https://storybug.org.uk/.
