Playful Public Interactions for Unfolding Conversations about Digital Health

The use and adoption of digital health (the combination of digital technologies with health and care) within healthcare provision is increasing globally. Research suggests that the design of public research engagement activities may be influenced by the meta-objectives of the groups or organizations that facilitate them, such as easing concerns or fears, limiting meaningful opportunities for public dialogue. We reflect that as public involvement and co-design practitioners working in digital health, our own assumptions of what the public may be interested in or concerned about may influence our design of public engagement and co-design activities and resources. Similarly, we note that participatory digital health engagements are often framed within formalized environments (such as meetings, focus groups, and/or workshops), the format(s) of which may inform how and who of the public is invited to participate. In response, we propose a Situated Action (SA) that invites the public to participate in a series of playful activities installed in public health/care spaces (or ‘Interactions’); inspired by how creative acts can mediate playful dialogue and support critical and reflective engagement. A series of three Interactions will be installed in two sister locations (London and Sheffield, UK) over a three-month period, with subsequent Interactions being informed by previous public responses. In doing so, we will facilitate a dialogue with local communities, situated within local communities, to collaboratively conceptualize and explore digital health topics in new ways.