Title: Platforming Digital Community Health

Amy Z. Chen

Ph.D. Student in Human-Centered Computing

School of Interactive Computing

Georgia Institute of Technology

Date: Tuesday, November 18, 2025

Time: 10:30am–12:30pm ET

Location: TSRB 217A; Zoom

Committee:

Dr. Michael L. Best (Advisor) – Sam Nunn School of International Affairs and School of Interactive Computing, Georgia Institute of Technology

Dr. Munmun De Choudhury – School of Interactive Computing, Georgia Institute of Technology

Dr. Neha Kumar – School of Interactive Computing, Georgia Institute of Technology

Dr. Andrea G. Parker – School of Interactive Computing, Georgia Institute of Technology

Dr. Tabia H. Akintobi – Department of Community Health and Preventive Medicine, Morehouse School of Medicine

Dr. Laura Vardoulakis – Google Health, Google Research

Abstract:

Researchers and practitioners in public health and computing have highlighted the value of working with community-based partners to bridge gaps of access and trust, especially to reach underserved populations. Yet as digital platforms increasingly shape the modern public health information ecosystem, taking a community-based approach to working with these platform technologies introduces challenges of working across levels of scale.

My dissertation proposal presents my work across five interlinked statewide community-engaged research coalitions, supporting community-based communicators to critically investigate and leverage digital platforms to promote public health. Using qualitative and design research methods alongside system development, my research examines the work of two collaborating groups of intermediary actors: the community-based health communicators, and the researchers including myself in these large coalitions. I consider how we navigate various boundaries of institutions, technologies, cultures, disciplines, and timescales to design tools and strategies around digital platforms, as well as to design our own structures and processes for collaboration.

My completed work includes two studies investigating the use of social media platforms and analytics by community-based health communicators, including (1) young adult peer messengers and (2) community health workers. Turning the lens inwards, (3) my third completed study unpacks our research team’s experiences of technological and institutional seamfulness in developing and operating a tailored health messaging system. My proposed work includes (4) participatory engagement with community-based health coaches to design and develop an LLM-based AI system to support their training and work; and (5) an autoethnographic reflection of my own participation in and shaping of these sociotechnical research coalitions through evolving digital health threats. Through this research, I contribute towards extending digital health to the level of digital platforms and communities, expanding our narratives of and approaches to pluralistic community-engaged research at broader scales, and ultimately raising the platform of those who work to advance community health.