Teen Health Hub WA: One-stop shop for young people’s questions about their health
Youth-driven solutions to public health issues
Written with Youth Advisory Council members: Shubham Bansal, Cara Elzie, Nede Ovbiebo, and Aryaa Vinod
Finding reliable health information online isn’t easy whether you’re a teen or an adult. A single search may bring up a ton of results, often with conflicting information. It can be tough to tell which sources are credible and trustworthy. But reliable health information isn’t just nice to have — it’s essential.
That’s why the Teen Health Hub WA (Hub) matters for the nearly 1 million teens in Washington. It’s a great solution to what’s missing. This first collaboration between the Department of Health (DOH) and the Youth Advisory Council (YAC) resulted in a valuable new online resource. The YAC is a group of teens and young adults from different parts of the state. Last year, YAC members Shubham, Cara, and Aryaa helped to develop the Hub. “Having a resource that’s easy to understand and accurate is super important,” said Shubham.
What’s in the Hub?
The Hub features resources covering topics carefully selected by the YAC. Teens can find information about physical, sexual, and reproductive health; mental and behavioral health; and dating and relationships. It also has information about young people’s health care rights in Washington.
Resources on the Hub are listed as “resource cards.” Each card links to more information, services, or other health resources vetted and verified by experts at DOH. Cara believes the Hub represents a “new wave of public health projects reflecting the reality of health care in the digital age.”
Deciding and narrowing what information to include in the Hub was challenging. This meant selecting website features and resources that would be helpful without overwhelming our audiences. YAC members from diverse backgrounds worked hard to make sure the Hub is inclusive, comprehensive, and easy to navigate.
According to Aryaa and Cara, the Hub is a safe welcoming platform, and a one-stop shop. Youth can explore and learn, knowing the information is accurate and credible. The current resource list is just a start, as the YAC will continue reviewing and adding new resources. “Being on the team that worked on this project was fantastic. I loved knowing our work would really help teens,” says Shubham.
Youth-driven solutions
Public health is one of the fastest growing and changing fields. This partnership has helped create an innovative project that fills an important need. YAC members helped brainstorm the design, colors, and even the name! “Our goal was to help the adults in the room understand the importance of health information communicated in fun, easy, and understandable ways,” says Nede.
For DOH, co-creating the Hub with members of the audience we’re trying to reach was a learning process. Aryaa noted that not many young people have experience taking leadership at a young age but having supportive adults and peers around helped. Cara adds, “We all have different issues we are passionate about, but we are here because we want to make public health more accessible.”
Reception and early response
We knew teens needed the Hub, but the response still exceeded our expectations. Within the first week of its December 2023 launch, the promotional social media posts had more than 10,000 views. As of May 2024, the views have reached nearly 300,000. The project has also received state and national recognition from public health leaders, including an Excellence in Adolescent Health Award from the University of Michigan’s Adolescent Health Initiative.
YAC members say the feedback from their friends and peers has been extremely positive. The user-friendly design and features like the “YAC approved” or “YAC favorite” tags are a big draw. Nede’s friends wish they had a similar resource growing up. YAC members even get ideas for future updates from friends and peers!
What’s next?
The YAC has big plans for the Hub. They want to help make it well-known in schools, community centers, and libraries — places where young people spend time together. Upcoming additions include videos explaining how to make doctor’s appointments and the privacy and health care rights of young people in Washington. These will help teens feel more confident about managing their health and knowing their rights. Aryaa’s Hub wish list includes an AI chatbot to make the platform even more interactive.
All the YAC members hope the Hub can inspire other states to create a similar platform and involve their young people in building it!
Explore the Hub
Check out the Hub and tell others about it. Sharing it helps make sure more people benefit from its valuable information.
Do you know a great resource to include in the Hub? Or would you like to schedule a demonstration? Email AdolescentHealthUnit@doh.wa.gov for more information.
About the YAC
The Washington State Department of Health’s Youth Advisory Council is a group of nearly 40 young people from different parts of the state who have come together with a common goal: using public health to help make their communities healthier. Every month, they meet to discuss health topics that matter to them and give feedback on how DOH can better support young people. They know what public health topics are important to them and what solutions will work.
