Weighing the Evidence: Making Informed Health Care Decisions (A Traveling Exhibit)
Project Website(s)
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Project Description
Health care in the United States is expensive and complex and there are many competing interests that make it an increasing necessity for health care consumers to take an active role to better advocate for themselves and those who are impacted by the decisions that are made. Making effective health care choices requires both science literacy and critical thinking skills to understand and evaluate options. The Weighing the Evidence (tentative title) project team will work with medical experts researchers health and medicine journalists and community partners to improve visitors’ critical analysis skills and ability to review evidence so that they can make informed health care decisions. To meet this goal a traveling exhibition will be developed utilizing a unique collection of historical and contemporary quack medical devices donated to the Science Museum of Minnesota when the Museum of Questionable Medical Devises closed in 2002. While the collection is rich in fun and entertainment it also offers a multitude of opportunities to reflect on science society and ethics skepticism and objectivity. This collection along with interactive experiences theater programs outreach programming and a companion web site will provide visitors with the tools needed to become more knowledgeable health care consumers.
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Abstract
The Science Museum of Minnesota (SMM)-in partnership with health professionals at United Family Medicine and Open Cities Health Clinic independent nonprofit providers of primary health care physician training health promotion and outreach services serving St. Paul’s diverse West Seventh neighborhood and HealthNewsReview.org an award winning website dedicated to helping consumers evaluate the evidence for and against new ideas in health care-proposes to use a unique collection of historical objects interactive exhibit components and contemporary examples of both questionable and legitimate medical products and services to demonstrate the importance of evidence-based decision making. Through related programming teen presenters will engage diverse audiences outside of the museum in demonstrations and discussions based on the exhibition content professional actors will challenge museum audiences to fully evaluate medical reports and products and a website will make the content and additional information accessible to an even wider audience. Participants in and out of the museum will use scientific evidence questioning skills and critical thinking to identify medical reports products and claims that are fraudulent ineffective or unnecessary and others that have passed rigorous scientific review. Weighing the Evidence: Making Informed Health Care Decisions will engage participants in an interactive exhibition and programming that empowers them to become more scientifically literate to question health- related claims and to base their health care decisions on reliable evidence. Learning Goals: All participants will: Become aware of the need to act as active competent health care consumers who ask questions about the evidence that underlies different health claims. * Begin to develop new strategies for questioning the evidence behind different health products. These strategies may include (but are not limited to): looking for costs risks and benefits; identifying evidence as scientific clinical or personal; recognizing red flags for inadequate evidence and more. * Recognize and better understand the role of research in developing new health care products and in the advancement of medical treatments. * Appreciate the role that cultural traditions and values play in the shaping individuals’ views on health and wellness – including our own. For the Health Crew outreach team only participants will also: * Become better prepared to pursue STEM careers in particular health sciences.
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Dissemination Strategies
Learning Goals: All participants will: Become aware of the need to be active competent health care consumers who ask questions about the evidence that underlies different health claims; Begin to develop new strategies for questioning the evidence behind different health products. These strategies may include (but are not limited to): looking for costs risks and benefits; identifying evidence as scientific clinical or personal; recognizing red flags for inadequate evidence. Recognize and better understand the role of research in developing new health care products and in the advancement of medical treatments Appreciate the role that cultural traditions and values play in the shaping individuals’ views on health and wellness – including our own. For the Health Crew outreach team only participants will: Become better prepared to pursue STEM careers in particular health sciences.
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Resources for Sharing
http://www.sciencebuzz.org/topics/qmd
Project Audience
Museum visitors who will interact with the exhibition at SMM and other host institutions nationally; Teen staff from SMM’s Kitty Andersen Youth Science Center who will develop and present programs in the museum and for community partners as part of a Health Crew; Program audiences at community partner sites who will participate in outreach programming
Subjects Addressed
Nature of Science Evaluating Evidence Personal Health
