Supporting Healthcare Providers' Motivations for Caring for Patients in Underserved Communities

Immigrant communities in the US are affected by Social Determinants of Health (SDOH), such as lack of educational opportunities, low income, lower rates of health insurance, and limited English proficiency; together, these drive immense health disparities. The lack of providers' motivation to work in underserved communities also reduces the quality of healthcare services. HCI and healthcare researchers strive to address immigrants' unmet healthcare needs by developing emerging technologies. However, there is limited understanding of effective strategies, especially how technologies can effectively be designed to increase providers' understanding of working with socially marginalized communities and their motivations to enhance practices. The goal of our larger study is to examine different perspectives on the immigrant community's health management and identify design implications for improved access to care for marginalized communities. As an initial step, we discuss findings from interviews with 15 health providers working in underserved community settings and explore future directions. This study presents design implications for better assisting healthcare providers to achieve improved motivation for working with underserved populations, thereby facilitating patient care.