A community-engaged, human-centered design approach using dScout virtual ethnography was used to codesign and beta-test The TALK, a nurse-led web-based eHealth intervention to improve parent-adolescent sexual health communication among Black male adolescents and young adults, yielding positive and constructive usability feedback before efficacy testing.
Key Findings
Methods
The TALK intervention was developed using a community-engaged codesign approach involving a community advisory council and two Black-owned barbershop owners.
The intervention is described as a 'nurse-led multi-pronged web-based eHealth intervention'
The design process involved collaboration with community advisory council members
Two Black-owned barbershop owners were included as community partners in the codesign process
The community-engaged approach was used specifically to ensure cultural relevance for Black male adolescents and young adults (BMAYA)
Methods
dScout, a virtual ethnographic research tool, was used to examine usability, feasibility, and acceptability of The TALK with parents of Black male adolescents and young adults.
The sample consisted of n = 13 parents of BMAYA
dScout was used as a human-centered design process tool
Both open- and close-ended questions were used to capture qualitative data
The tool captured end-users' experiences and preferences for intervention technology and content
Methods
The TALK intervention consists of three primary components: videos, a website, and an interactive activity.
Feedback was collected on all three intervention components
Participant feedback addressed digital design, functionality, and overall ease of use and navigation
The three components were designed to improve shared parent-adolescent sexual health knowledge and communication
Content was evaluated for cultural relevance and user satisfaction
Results
Participant feedback on The TALK was positive and constructive, identifying areas of cultural relevance and satisfaction as well as areas of design friction and content accessibility needing improvement.
Feedback highlighted where the intervention was 'culturally relevant and satisfying for users'
Participants provided recommendations for changes in 'areas of design friction and content accessibility'
Feedback was gathered prior to efficacy and effectiveness testing
The beta testing process helped understand how The TALK engaged participants and assisted in parent-adolescent communication
Conclusions
The study demonstrates that human-centered design processes and community-engaged approaches applied early in intervention development are beneficial for eHealth sexual health interventions targeting BMAYA.
The authors conclude that 'thoughtful design and quality experience should be developed early in the intervention design through human-centered processes and community-engaged approaches'
The early-stage development focus was on usability, feasibility, and acceptability before moving to efficacy testing
The approach was responsive to the 'pronounced and persistent sexual health disparities' experienced by BMAYA compared to other groups in the US
The study positions eHealth technologies as having 'potential for sexual health promotion and prevention for BMAYA'
What This Means
This research describes the early development and testing of 'The TALK,' a website-based health program designed to help parents talk with their Black teenage and young adult sons about sexual health. The program was built with input from the community, including a community advisory council and Black-owned barbershop owners, to make sure the content felt relevant and trustworthy to its intended users. Thirteen parents participated in beta testing using dScout, a digital research tool that allows researchers to gather feedback remotely through a combination of open and closed questions about their experience with the program's videos, website, and interactive activities.
Participants generally responded positively to The TALK, finding it culturally relevant and satisfying to use, while also offering constructive suggestions about areas where the design was confusing or content was hard to access. This kind of early-stage feedback is valuable because it allows developers to fix problems before investing in large-scale studies to test whether the program actually works. The research suggests that involving community members as genuine partners in the design process, rather than only consulting them after a program is already built, leads to better-fitting and more usable tools.
This research suggests that using human-centered design methods and community-engaged approaches early in the development of digital health programs can improve the quality of those programs, particularly when addressing health disparities affecting groups that have historically been underserved. Black male adolescents and young adults experience disproportionately higher rates of certain sexual health problems in the United States, and well-designed, culturally appropriate tools that facilitate parent-child conversations could be a meaningful part of addressing those disparities.
Randolph S, Jeter E, Zuber C, Johnson R, Emerson M, Jemmott J, et al.. (2025). Integrating a Human-Centered Design Tool, dScout, to Design a Web-Based Intervention for Parent-Adolescent Sexual Health Communication.. Research in nursing & health. https://doi.org/10.1002/nur.70009