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Objective Patient-driven deprescribing initiatives aim to increase patient knowledge and strengthen self-advocacy skills. This article describes the development of three animated videos designed to educate older adults about unsafe prescribing and medication harm, based on the actionable lessons from the death, by polypharmacy, of an older adult in our community. Methods Using a community based participatory research approach (CBPR), members of three senior centers (n = 53) and the Deprescribing Partnership of Western New York (n = 30) were recruited and participated in two rounds of focus groups to guide the video development. Results Stakeholder input led to changes in content, wording, and visual presentation. The final versions of the videos emphasize the following messages (1) “New medications and what you should know about the risks”, (2) “What you should do when a doctor tells you never to take a certain medication”, (3) “What you should know about medications when you are in the hospital.” Conclusion The study highlights the successful process of using CBPR to develop a series of videos designed to provide information on the risks of polypharmacy, and empower older adults to advocate for themselves. Practice implications Animated educational videos are a novel strategy to address medication harm in older adults. This research is a critical first step to increasing patient-led discussions that reduce the incidence of medication harm and inappropriate medication use among older adults.

The Air Force Research Laboratory’s Laser Division faces the unique challenge of explaining intricate technical problems in its research portfolio to a varied audience, ranging from upper military leadership in control of program funding to young elementary students involved in STEM outreach activities. A team of Lieutenants from Kirtland Air Force Base developed an innovative solution to this challenge with a series of tabletop demos used to visually illustrate some of the key technical challenges and fundamental science the lab is working on. The negative effects of vibration on a laser system is a visually apparent problem and thus jitter was the focus of our first demo. The demo uses a Line-of-Sight Stabilization system to stabilize a vibrating laser beam. This paper will discuss the system design, implementation of the control loop, presentation techniques, and opportunities for expansion. This demo boasts a unique ability to speak to all ages, making it easier to explain key concepts to military leadership at the Pentagon as well as expose students across the USA to STEM challenges. This system is also one of a two-part set. The other, focusing on Adaptive Optics, is discussed in a sister paper.

The Air Force Research Laboratory’s Laser Division faces the unique challenge of explaining the intricate technical problems in its research portfolio to a varied audience that includes upper military leadership who control program funding all the way to students of all levels as part of STEM outreach activities. An innovative solution to this challenge was developed by a team of junior scientists and engineers in the form of a series of table top demos used to visually illustrate some of the key technical challenges and fundamental science the lab is working on. One of the most challenging problems facing our team is the degrading optical effect caused by turbulence. Modern laser weapons systems utilize Adaptive Optics (AO) to correct for many of these effects and thus our team set out to showcase an AO system approachable to the public. This paper highlights how we use a commercial product as the center of our demo, lessons we have learned while showcasing this demo and a few expansion possibilities. This system boasts a unique ability to speak to all ages and thus has been used to explain key concepts to military leadership at the Pentagon as well as expose elementary students across the USA to STEM challenges. This system is one of a two-part set. The other, focusing on Line-of-Sight Stabilization, is discussed in a sister paper.

Team Alice, named after an older adult in our community who died as a result of medication harm, is an interdisciplinary team of prescribers, pharmacists, educators, advocates, and researchers with a mission to protect older people from medication-related harm across the continuum of care. In 2019, Team Alice partnered with the Erie County Department of Senior Services, older people, and caregivers to form the Elder Voices Network (EVN) as a vehicle for patient-driven deprescribing in the Western New York region. The objective of this presentation is to detail the planning and implementation of critical components of EVN’s formation, including outreach and engagement, funding development, community partnerships, roles and communication, and decision-making. Case study results demonstrate the capacity of community-based participatory research (CBPR) to empower older people and caregivers with knowledge, skills, and tools to promote self-advocacy across the system. Presenters will also discuss recommendations useful for future patient engagement initiatives.