Personal Health Libraries for People Returning From Incarceration: Protocol for a Qualitative Study

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Health Informatics
• Health Services Research

Background:

• Individuals released from carceral facilities experience high rates of hospitalization and mortality post-release.
• Navigating complex health and social service systems is challenging for justice-involved individuals due to health, literacy, and socioeconomic factors.
• Personal health information technology (PHIT) has the potential to improve health transitions but has not been tailored to this population's needs.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a mobile application that creates personal health libraries for individuals returning from incarceration.
• To bridge the gap between carceral settings and community living by facilitating access to personal health information.

Main Methods:

• Qualitative research methods, including individual interviews with recently released individuals (n=20) and providers (n=7), were employed.
• Rapid qualitative analysis was used to identify facilitators and barriers to PHIT development and use.
• Participant preferences and needs were assessed to inform the mobile app's content and features.

Main Results:

• 27 qualitative interviews with recently released individuals and stakeholders have been completed.
• The study is characterizing the unique circumstances impacting PHIT for individuals returning from incarceration.

Conclusions:

• The study aims to characterize the experiences of individuals transitioning from carceral settings.
• It will identify information, technology resources, and needs for community reentry.
• The research seeks to create pathways for engagement with personal health information technology.