Video Component

Project Purpose or Objectives:

The purpose of this project is to create a collection of clear, approachable resources that help individuals understand two important areas of healthcare: Health Insurance and Hospice Care. My objective is to break down the information into simple pamphlets and toolkits that guide people step-by-step. My overall goal is to help people feel empowered and confident as they make decisions during challenging and confusing healthcare moments.

The Project (Samples of the Work or Final Product):

Here is the final product of the Toolkits and Pamphlets:

Challenges Encountered

Challenges arose while completing these information guides, including simplifying two very complex topics, deciding what information was the most important for the pamphlet, balancing a professional tone while also making it approachable, and technology troubles. 

First, it was hard to take very complex topics and not only simplify them but also use language that wouldn’t be confusing to the average reader. Talking my resources out loud with someone who wasn’t an expert in the topic helped because they were able to offer feedback on the language and complexity of the information being shared. 

Next, deciding which information was the most important was challenging. To combat this, I spoke with my mentor, who suggested that the most important information be included. Also, she recommended adding more complex topics to the toolkit to equip the audience with more valuable information. 

Next, ensuring the tone stays professional and approachable was also a difficult task. I found myself highlighting words as I wrote my drafts to come back to later, so I could fix the wording and either make it more professional and approachable. I also worked with my mentor to fix different phrases to make them easier to understand.

Lastly, I ran into a few technology issues. I originally started the toolkit in Google Slides, but then, as I was importing my videos, I found they weren’t compatible, so I exported the whole thing into PowerPoint, and then I was able to import and edit the videos. 

Project Processes

Over the course of this project, I have worked in many different phases in order to achieve the result I wanted. I first began researching both topics. I am a healthcare admin major, and so I already have a well-rounded knowledge of both topics. I’m also doing my internship this semester in an assisted living facility, so it’s been nice to be surrounded by the health insurance and hospice world in a professional environment. I began researching on credible government health sites and increased my knowledge on the topics. 

Next, I started the brainstorming and brain mapping phase. I used a plain doc and started drafting how I wanted each section to look and the different elements I wanted included. I determined what I wanted in each resource and where they could overlap in similar information. In this phase, I also found credible images I could use as visuals to explain major concepts.

Next, I began writing and drafting the written elements of each section. In this section, I focused really hard on breaking down terms and using language the audience would understand. This section was very crucial in creating a tone of both professionalism and approachability in the written and video sections. 

Next, the designing portion was one of my favorites. I chose a color scheme throughout the whole project of reds and pinks. I felt that because this topic is such a difficult one to talk about, I wanted to make sure love and compassion were visible throughout the whole thing. The designing process was great because I got to add a little creativity to the whole toolkit. Most educational pamphlets I’ve seen have been really bland and not exciting; my goal was to do the exact opposite. I wanted the toolkit and pamphlets to be visually pleasing and eye-catching.

Lastly, the end of the process was focused on revising, adding corrections, and finalizing the project. The additions I made to my project were based on feedback I received from my mentor and others who looked at my project. They included: adding additional information to the toolkit to expand upon the information for my audience. It also focused on introducing a few new topics, like why we need health insurance and how to learn more about hospice drugs. The revisions and additions to my project, I feel, made my project that much better and increased understanding for the audience. 

Overview of Experiences

Overall, my experience with this project gave me firsthand insights into how overwhelming healthcare information can be for individuals. I have seen how important it is to turn complicated processes into something approachable and comforting. Learning how to balance professionalism with empathy is vital in the healthcare industry, especially with healthcare topics. Lastly, throughout this whole semester, I have strengthened my communication, organization, and design skills, specifically with hard healthcare topics. 

Insights and Takeaways

Throughout this project, I have had lots of insights and takeaways, including: how deeply health literacy matters, compassionate communication is vital, and educational materials are a complicated balance. 

Health literacy is so overlooked, but so important in our lives. For the rest of our time, people will rely on healthcare, and the understanding of related topics will be vital. People will need to educate themselves on this topic and, because of this, they will rely on professionals to create easy-to-understand resources to help. I truly have learned how important it is to make resources easy to understand and engaging. 

Compassionate communication is the core of the service industry, specifically the healthcare service industry. This industry must have compassionate service because most people receiving these services are facing a hard time, so not only does the care need to be compassionate, but so does the way they communicate with the patients. 

The balance of educational materials requires lots of components. Accuracy, clarity, and emotional sensitivity need to be at the core of all educational materials. I have seen specifically throughout this project that a proper balance makes or breaks your project outcome. People require a proper balance of educational materials because these three components will help them learn the most effectively.