“It’s really refreshing to be involved in something where our perspective and opinion was respected and taken seriously” – Co-designing It’s Your Right, a peer-led hepatitis C health promotion campaign for people who inject drugs

Background:

It’s Your Right was the first Australia-wide hepatitis C health promotion campaign to be co-designed with peer workers with living and lived experience of injecting drug use. It’s Your Right aimed to increase hepatitis C testing and treatment uptake in people who inject drugs. Between July 2019 – December 2021 the co-design group developed the positive, vibrant, rights-based campaign, which was implemented nationally in 2022. This presentation will share the benefits and challenges of the co-design process, and recommendations for future co-design activities.
Methods: 18 people (10 peer workers, 8 non-peer group members) involved in the co-design of It’s Your Right were interviewed about their experiences of being involved. Transcripts were analysed using deductive thematic analysis.

Results:

Participants reported that centering the experiences of people who inject drugs through peer workers being partners in co-design, and by testing designs and messages with intended audiences during the co-design process, led to the campaign being more appropriate for people who inject drugs. Openness, honesty, trust and respect within the co-design group allowed for “frank and fearless” discussions, sharing of expertise and knowledge, and increased links between participating organisations. Peer involvement in the co-design also led to feelings of ownership over the campaign by partner organisations, which increased excitement and motivation around implementation. COVID-19 was a challenge, lengthening the co-design process, and forcing a shift to co-designing online. Online co-design allowed for greater, and more regular, participation from across Australia, however some participants found online activities challenging due to difficulties building rapport, competing work priorities, and “Zoom fatigue”.

Conclusion:

Co-designing It’s Your Right with peer workers resulted in a nuanced campaign messaging and design which resonated with people who inject drugs. Recommendations for future co-design activities include shortening the timeline for design, and adopting a hybrid co-design model combining online and face-to-face activities.

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