2022 Early Hearing Detection & Intervention Virtual Conference

March 13 - 15, 2022

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3/04/2019  |   11:50 AM - 12:15 PM   |  The Power of a Metaphor: EHDI System Improvement Through Creative Communication   |  Florence

The Power of a Metaphor: EHDI System Improvement Through Creative Communication

What is health equity, and what does it have to do with the early hearing detection and intervention systems? How can we begin to discuss these questions without a basic understanding of the ideas behind the words? Storytelling gives us the tools we need to begin complex, ever-evolving conversations about equality, equity, and system improvement, and one of the most powerful storytelling tools is metaphor. This presentation will delve into the common metaphor of people of different heights standing on boxes to view a baseball game over a fence to show how professionals and stakeholders throughout EHDI systems can quickly reach incredible depths of understanding about this complex topic. Using real examples generated by experienced audiologists, EHDI coordinators, parents, and other professionals, the baseball game metaphor will present a new way to discover hidden challenges, identify new opportunities for collaboration, and facilitate rapid, deep understanding between any participant in EHDI systems. The presentation will touch on Minnesota data about intervention delay and lost to follow-up rates by race and ethnicity and preferred language to show the need for systems-level health equity improvement. Other useful metaphors and analogies will also be mentioned as we acknowledge the need for different storytelling tools depending on culture and other factors.

  • Gain tools to help professionals and stakeholders throughout the EHDI system to hold complex conversations on equity, race, and culture
  • Understand the value of metaphor in communicating about complex issues
  • Describe the connection between early childhood hearing screening loss to follow up, intervention delay, and population-level inequity

Presentation:
18878_10513CaraWeston.pdf

Handouts:
Handout is not Available

Transcripts:
18878_10513CaraWeston.docx


Presenters/Authors

Cara Weston (), Minnesota Department of Health, cara.weston@state.mn.us;
Cara is the Long-Term Followup Data Coordinator for Minnesota's EHDI program. She has worked for the program since 2012.


ASHA DISCLOSURE:

Financial -

Nonfinancial -