Using Digital Storytelling to Make Data Personal

Background:  In 2010, the St. Louis Beacon, an online news organization, approached Act3 to help visualize data they had gathered on health disparities in St. Louis, and complement a series of articles they had been producing examining these disparities.

Program background: See Background.

Evaluation Methods and Results:  Act3 conducted its own research from mid-2010 through early 2011 to fully understand all facets of the story. In addition to data provided by the Beacon, Act3 gathered data from:

• Public health organizations, including the American Diabetes Association
• Health departments, including the City of Saint Louis Department of Health
• Medical journals, including the Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health
• Centers for Disease Control

Act3 also interviewed:

• Alan Channing, President and CEO, Sinai Health System
• Matthew Kreuter, PhD, Professor, George Warren Brown School of Social Work, Washington University in St. Louis, and Director, Health Communications Research Lab
• Robert Smith, M.D., Market Medical Director, UnitedHealthcare

After gathering all the information, Act3 decided that the best way to help viewers understand the impact of diabetes on St. Louis was to create a representative fictional character named Bill, and to tell his story. Act3 produced a 4-minute animated film, entitled, “This is Bill. He has Diabetes.” (Online at http://bit.ly/bill-has-diabetes.) The film follows Bill through the health challenges he faces as his community changes over time. Data is presented on screen to complement the illustrations and narration and add context to the story. The film was featured on the St. Louis Beacon’s website, and screened at several events in the fall of 2011, including the Washington University Institute of Public Health Annual Conference and the Maryville University Health Media Literacy Panel. Response to the film has been overwhelmingly positive. One physician suggested it be required viewing for all medical students. A health communications professional said, “I was blown away with how you took such a complex topic and simplified it to perfection. Anybody watching that video should get an honorary MPH because they would then be able to accurately articulate the social determinants of health and health disparities.”

Conclusions:  The response to the film underscores the value of contextualizing, personalizing, and telling a coherent story around the massive amounts of health data available. The storytelling approach provided context to the data, made it accessible, and made the issue understandable. Framing the data in a simple narrative about a representative individual helped viewers quickly and easily grasp the scope of the problem and the impact of the issue on their lives—even if they don’t know anyone with diabetes.

Implications for research and/or practice:  While the healthcare community has data that underscores the impact and severity of many health issues, it often fails to make that data influence a public audience. Storytelling is an effective means to help audiences understand the health issues affecting them and their community, and can also influence habit and behavior.